What the New Year Brings
by ShipperTrish
Summary: KakaSaku. How you spend New Year's Day determines how you will spend the rest of the new year. Looks like Sakura has one hell of a new year ahead of her!
1. What the New Year Brings

Disclaimer: I do not own "Naruto."

Note: Quick little drabble. May turn into something more if inspiration hits me.

**What the New Year Brings**

I was once told that how you spend New Year's Day determines how you will spend the rest of the new year.

I knew how I was going to spend New Year's Day, the same way I did every year...Either sleeping through it or watching other people celebrate it around the world on TV. Guess that means I tend to spend each new year either sleeping through it or watching other people live their own lives.

So how is it that I find myself with my back pressed flat against a wall, a tongue shoved down my throat, and a not so modest bulge in someone's pants pressed hard between my legs? I only have a couple of minutes to think "What the..." before Kakashi finally breaks our kiss, lets me breathe, looks down at me with a half-hooded eye and an unmasked smile, then leaves me with the profound parting words of "That's the fifth time your strap has fallen off your shoulder, Sakura-chan. You should really do something about that." As he raises his mask back over his nose and mouth and walks away, I watch him until he disappears through the doorway. It's only after he's left that the rest of the party, with every single person we know including Naruto and the Hokage herself, turn their attention now to _me_. Breathless, lipstick smudged, and champagne glass still trembling in my hand, I have to think, "Shit! What the _hell_ does this new year have in store for me?"

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Thank you so much to **kimeko-28** for doing a doujin of this chapter! I love it! ^_^ Here's a link:

kimeko-28(dot)deviantart(dot)com/art/What-the-New-Year-Brings-105230998

**Update 12/18/10:** I made a drawing to go with this chapter. Here's the link:

shippertrish(dot)deviantart(dot)com/art/KakaSaku-New-Year-s-Kiss-190021601


	2. I Like You

Disclaimer: I do not own "Naruto."

Note: Thank you to everyone who reviewed so far and special thanks to those who asked me to continue this story: Goddess Psyche, katybug1357, azundrumergrl, Southern Rose, Mateba, honeybeem15, and Zetnnik...You gave me the motivation to change this itty bitty drabble into a real story, so thank you!

**Chapter 2-"I Like You." **

Two thoughts race through my mind: A) Damn it's cold! and B) What the _hell_ was that about?!

Both A and B wouldn't exist if _someone_ hadn't hit me with a kiss and run. Seriously, who does that anyway?!

I don't know what I'm more pissed off about, the fact that he kissed me like _that_ (in public no less!) without explanation or the fact that he just abandoned me afterwards, leaving me to deal with everyone's reactions and my own thoroughly confused thoughts in the wake of that little stunt of his.

I can still feel my face burning in humiliation from everyone's stares. If they weren't looking back at me in shock, they were snickering pervertedly at my predicament, Naruto being in the former group and Genma being in the latter. You'd think that they'd have been more preoccupied about having just seen the bottom half of someone's face that hasn't seen the light of day since, Oh, I don't know, Ichiraku Ramen when Ayame and her dad got an eyeful? But even with me asking this very question pathetically to the general crowd, Ino's only reply to me was, "Um, Sakura, he pretty much had his back turned on all of us and the except few who did get a side view still couldn't see much because he was holding your face up to his as he sucked yours!" At this point, I just remember burying my face in my hands and running the hell out of there! God, I'm going to kill him, but not before I get some answers first!

My blood is still boiling as I make my way from the party at HQ to Kakashi's apartment and you'd think I'd be anything but freezing right now, but I am! My black peacoat buttoned over my little black cocktail dress is thick, but it still doesn't seem to be keeping the chill out, and it's not long enough to keep the cold wind from whipping around my bare legs or riding up my skirt. The black strappy pumps on my feet aren't keeping me any warmer either!

After finally reaching Kakashi's apartment and climbing up its many stairs, I bang my knuckles hard on his front door and shout at the top of my lungs,

"Hatake Kakashi, you come out here right now!"

I don't care if his neighbors get mad at me! I don't care that people have started calling me "mini-Tsunade" because of my short temper! All I care about is getting my hands around the scrawny little neck of that cyclopic pervert!

I'm still banging on the door and have a mind to just smash it into smitherines when it slowly opens and a benign looking Kakashi looks down at me with a happy eye crease and what had to be a smile behind his mask. Why even bother with a mask at this point when I had just seen his face extremely up close and personal all of 10 minutes ago?!

"Why, Sakura, come back for more?" He asks pleasantly.

"W-What?! NO, you perv! I came to ask you what the hell that was all about!" I yell while swinging an arm out in the general direction from whence I just came.

Kakashi lifts my chin up with his fingertips and with a half-hooded eye sparkling back at me says, "What's not to understand, Sakura-chan? I like you." And in five seconds flat, he's pulled his mask down underneath his chin, thrown me into a dip with one arm around my waist and a hand on the nape of my neck, and has shoved his tongue down my throat...Again! He gives me another five seconds to get my bearings as he sets me back down on my feet before ducking back behind his door and telling me, "Now go on home if you know what's good for you." With that, he softly shuts the door in my face and clicks the lock into place.

As I stare at the smooth surface of Kakashi's now closed door, I can't help but think, "Did he seriously just steal a second kiss and get away with it? _What the fuck_?!"

To be continued...


	3. Mini Weenies

Disclaimer: I do not own "Naruto."

Note: THANK YOU to everyone who's left kind and encouraging reviews. I always appreciate them!

For those who've asked, yes, I'm pretty sure that the rating of this story will switch from T to M at some point because even when I don't intend it to, it happens anyway. However, since I've now decided to write about how the _entire year_ turns out for Sakura, there's probably going to be a lot of build up before this story gets to that point. I know a lot of you love my lemons, but for now it's going to be a lot of fluff and humor and angst. Sorry!

Also, sorry in advance for such short chapters. My chapters are usually short anyway, but since this story started off as a drabble...

Anyway, I'm planning for a year's worth of material so that should make up for it.

Thanks again to everyone who asked me to continue this story. I enjoy living in KakaSaku's world and now that I know I have a whole year to live in it, that makes me very, very happy.

**Chapter 3-Mini Weenies**

He's gotta be drunk. That's gotta be it. The alcohol has coursed through his veins, made its way to his brain, and instead of turning him into a better fighter like Rock Lee when he gets inebriated, Kakashi-sensei turns into a blubbering, horny, idiot. Not that he's not a horny idiot to begin with. Blubbering, no. Horny idiot, yes.

_"Now go on home if you know what's good for you."_

Well _that's_ not very subtle is it?

I'm still staring at his closed door trying to decide whether to stay or to go when it hits me..._He likes me!_ And not just in a "Oh, you're my favorite ex-student and friend who just happens to be a girl" kind of way, but in a "I'd ravish you into next Tuesday if you gave me the chance" kind of way. Damn. How's that for a revelation?!

But my rational self thinks: What if he _is_ just drunk and didn't actually mean any of it? What if all this is just one of those "Really? I don't remember saying or doing that!" kind of moments?

I think back on the two kisses he's stolen from me so far and try to make my deductions from there...

His breath certainly didn't smell like alcohol. In fact, I think it smelled more like mini weenies. As I lick my lips, tasting the flavor of Kakashi's lips still lingering on mine I decide...Yep, definitely mini weenies. But then again, maybe the toothpick-stabbed hors d'oeuvres simply covered up the taste and smell of the alcohol. Or maybe he drank punch and maybe the punch was spiked. Or maybe I'm over-thinking this and I just really need to go home.

Drunk or not he's horny. Which makes _me_ horny. Which means I have to go.

Because I know he's way too old for me and that the whole teacher/student thing is taboo and too weird even if Tsunade's taken that title from him over a decade ago. Once a teacher always a teacher, right?

So me, home, now.

As I turn on my heel and quickly start walking home, for some reason I can't help but think that Kakashi must be in nothing more but a pair of pants and a black, sleeveless undershirt with attached mask by now. Mmm...Yummy.

At this point I both mentally and physically slap myself and force myself to walk faster.

If there's even the _slightest_ chance that he didn't mean any of it and that he'll regret anything he's said or done so far tonight, I simply can't take the chance of staying. Otherwise, he and I might both end up regretting more than just a little French kissing, and I so do _not_ want to start the New Year off with one huge regret. 'Cuz that would suck. So yeah. Me, home, now. Even if he is good enough to...

And a shower. Yes, I think a nice cold shower is in order here.

To be continued...

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Thank you Broken Mantra for suggesting a song fit for this chapter...**"Should I Stay or Should I Go?" by The Clash**. The lyrics "If I go there will be trouble, And if I stay it will be double" are perfect! Thank you!


	4. Trouble

Disclaimer: I do not own "Naruto."

Note: THANK YOU as always to everyone who left kind and encouraging reviews! I always enjoy hearing from you even if it's just to say "It made me laugh" or "I liked it." Something so simple makes my day a happier one, so thank you!

**Chapter 4-Trouble**

If there's one thing I've learned in life, it's that if you want to keep a bad situation from getting worse, then keep a low profile.

An enemy ninja wants to beat the living daylights out of you? Keep a low profile and hide in the bushes. Your overly volatile mentor wants to know who the hell hid her sake this time? Keep a low profile and hide behind Shizune. An amorous ex-sensei kisses you like there's no tomorrow at a holiday function? Hide in your apartment like a turtle in its shell and live off fast-food delivery for the rest of your life. And yes, that counts as keeping a low profile, too.

Okay, so the last one may not be completely feasible, but at the very least I can spend the rest of New Year's Day in the sanctuary of my own apartment. Out of sight, out of mind, right? And as long as there isn't any work, missions, or training today, I have every intention of staying out of everyone's sight and mind, most especially that of one silver-haired, one-eyed hentai.

If I stay far enough away from him, maybe the rumors and gossip will die down quicker. Maybe it'll give him the chance to get the alcohol out of his system (assuming that was the instigator to begin with) to gain a clearer head. God knows _I_ need to gain a clearer head after what happened last night! One minute I'm minding my own business, calmly sipping my champagne, then the clock strikes midnight and BOOM! Out of nowhere a pair of lips are ready to suck me into another dimension like the Mangekyou Sharingan! If only. That fate would've been preferable to the gawking I had to be subjected to after that kiss. I can't even begin to imagine what kind of scrutiny I'll have to endure once I set foot out my door! Best to not even think about it. I'll worry about it tomorrow. Today, I'm going to stay in my pajamas, warm and cozy under the blankets of my bed, and catch up on all the sleep I didn't get last night because of all the worrying I did over two kisses that probably didn't really mean anything and a few words that have probably already been forgotten by the person who spoke them, and...God dammit! Can't they see I'm trying to have an inner monologue here?!

"I'm coming!" I yell at whoever's insistently pounding on my front door.

I slide my feet into two pink, fluffy house slippers, wrap the belt of my pink bathrobe tighter around my waist, and shuffle my way to the door.

The idiot is still pounding.

"I said I'm coming! What the hell is your prob...lem. Kakashi."

"Morning, Sakura! Ready to go out?" Kakashi asks as he plants a lingering masked kiss on the corner of my mouth.

I've stopped breathing for two reasons: 1) He kissed me (again!) and this time I'm pretty damn sure he's sober, and 2) He kissed me (again!)!

To be continued...

* * *

The title of this chapter was suggested by EraAntha at the KakaSaku site. Thanks EraAntha, you thought of the perfect title even before I had this chapter written! How's that for foresight?


	5. A Little Persuasion

Disclaimer: I do not own "Naruto."

Note: THANK YOU to everyone who's left kind and encouraging reviews! You fill my inbox with happiness!

**Chapter 5-A Little Persuasion**

"Are you drunk?"

"What makes you think that I am?" Kakashi asks, clearly taken aback.

"Because you keep freakin' kissing me!"

"You don't want me to?"

"No! Yes! What the hell?! I just want to know why you keep doing it!"

"I thought I made that perfectly clear last night, Sakura...I like you." Kakashi's eye crinkles as he smiles beneath his mask.

"I thought you were just drunk!"

"What is it with you always thinking that I'm drunk? I wasn't drunk last night and I'm certainly not drunk right now, okay Sakura?"

A pair of girly giggles resound behind Kakashi and Kakashi and I look across the street to see Tenten and Ino walking by, giggling into their hands.

"Aw, fuck!" I say throwing my hands up in the air in despair.

And so it begins...

Well, I can continue this conversation with Kakashi outside my door for all the world to see and hear, or drag Kakashi's ass inside so that we can talk in private. Only problem is, if I do that it might just create even worse rumors. Either way, I'm screwed. So I might as well keep the conversation outside so that at least then people will _know_ nothing suspicious is going on behind closed doors.

"Are you trying to embarrass me?!" I ask him irritably.

"Why would I want to embarrass you?!" Kakashi asks confused.

"I don't know, but that's exactly what you're doing!"

"How am I...Sakura, you really need to give me more credit here. First you think I'm doing things because I'm drunk and now you think I'm trying to humiliate you on purpose. I promise you that I'm doing neither and my intentions towards you are completely honorable...Mostly." Kakashi adds as an afterthought, looking absently somewhere over my head and scratching the bottom of his chin.

My jaw drops and my eyes widen from the implication of that little add-on.

"Anyway..." Kakashi looks back down at me brightly, "We've got a big day ahead of us and as cute as that little outfit of yours is, I suggest you change because I highly doubt that you'd want to be seen walking down the street dressed like that." He states matter-of-factly and gives me another happy eye crease.

I close the collar of my bathrobe tighter around my neck.

"What even makes you think that I'm going anywhere with you today?! We didn't agree on any plans! _My_ plans consisted of staying in bed all day!"

"Well, okay. If you insist." Kakashi shrugs and begins to step forward as if to go into my apartment.

"And where do you think you're going?!" I ask, pushing my hand hard against his chest to stop him from going any further.

"To bed. Where else?"

"What the hell, Kakashi?!"

"But you just said..."

"I know what I just said, but what in God's name made you take that as an invitation?!"

"I'm sorry. Have I crossed a line here?"

"'Have I crossed a line here?' he asks! Yes, Kakashi! You have! Somewhere between ramming your tongue down my throat and assuming that I want to sleep with you, yes, you most definitely have crossed a line!"

"You're the one who brought up going to bed." Kakashi says as he shrugs his shoulders innocently.

"What is _wrong_ with you?! Are you high?!"

"Okay, first I'm drunk and now I'm high?!"

"What do you expect me to think?! You're acting so _weird_, even for you, Kakashi!"

"I told you straight out what's going on. I like you. I want to spend time with you. What more do you want?"

"I don't know, more of an explanation maybe?! Like why now? Why all of a sudden? And why you keep being so damn forward?!"

"Let's call it a New Year's resolution." Kakashi says offhandedly. "And it's not 'all of a sudden,' Sakura. I've liked you for awhile now. As to why I'm being forward, why not? Can't send you the wrong signals if I am, can I? But with you, I don't know..." Kakashi trails off, quirking an eyebrow up at me as if concerned for my inability to read "clear" signals.

"I'm not stupid, Kakashi!" I say indignantly.

"Didn't say you were."

"I'm just shocked that you're laying everything down so cut and dry."

"Believe me, Sakura, with all the hell I had to go through just to figure out my feelings for you, everything is so _not_ cut and dry."

"So what makes you so sure now?"

"I'm not. I'm not that presumptuous."

"You seem presumptuous enough to me!" I grumble, folding my arms across my chest.

"I'm 36 years old, Sakura, and I'm not getting any younger. I'm just trying to move things forward for once in my life."

"By kissing me senseless?"

Kakashi scratches the back of his neck awkwardly.

"I'm trying to make things simple because things are going to be complicated enough as it is...You obviously still don't know how you feel about me, I'm still working out my own feelings about you myself, and I don't even want to begin to think about how everyone else feels about all this to begin with! I figure that if I can make things easier where I can, then I will. And the easiest thing right now, ironically enough, is to show you how I feel about you, which if you haven't figured out yet, is me wanting you and not just as a friend or a teammate, but as something more. You can take as long as you need to figure out your own feelings, Sakura, but for now give me the chance to let me show you mine. You've got nothing to lose and everything to gain, so what are you waiting for?" Kakashi asks, looking amicably down at me with his hands stuffed into his pockets.

Across the street, Tenten and Ino aren't even trying to hide the fact that they've completely stopped in front of my house and have been listening in this entire time and still are.

What _am_ I waiting for? An Uchiha who's made it clear he doesn't ever want to come home? A Kyubbi container who's found love in a Hyuuga? A green, spandex clad mini-Gai? Ew...

"Give me 15 minutes to change." I say with my mind made up.

And there it is, the happy eye crease.

I'm such a goner.

To be continued...


	6. Walking and Talking

Disclaimer: I do not own "Naruto."

Note: THANK YOU to everyone who's reviewed, faved, and alerted. Nice to know this story is getting some love.

**Chapter 6-Walking and Talking**

I keep looking at Kakashi from the corner of my eye. I keep worrying that he'll pounce me. But he's behaving himself so far. We're almost to our destination and he hasn't so much as brushed up against me. In fact, it would be like old times if it weren't for our conversation just a little while ago...

I steal another glance at Kakashi.

"You're old enough to be my father, you know?" I ask, tilting my head up to look at him directly now.

"If that were true, Sakura, I would've had you when I was 14. Way too young to be a father. But I'm more like a big brother than a father if you insist upon comparing our relationship to incest."

My face screws up in horror.

"I'm just saying you're almost twice my age! Don't you think you're robbing the cradle a little?"

"What I'm thinking is that you're in your 20's and I'm in my 30's and I've seen far worse with 90 year olds marrying 30 year olds who are only in it for the money. And seeing how neither of us is intent upon gold digging the other and I'm far from chasing after someone 60 years my junior, I think my dating you is not all that perverse."

I'm still trying to wrap my head around this sense of logic when another thought occurs to me.

"Well, if the age thing doesn't bother you, then what about my having once been your student? I mean, it's like...Like Gai going after Tenten!"

This time it's Kakashi's face that screws up in horror.

"Ew..."

"Exactly!"

"Ugh, but Sakura, Gai going after _anybody_ is 'Ew'!"

"Well, yeah, but you and him aren't that much different."

"How could you say that, Sakura?! I'm _nothing_ like Gai!"

"You're both about the same age, you're both senseis, and you're both weird."

"I am not weird!"

"You read porn in public and you never take your mask off."

"Okay, but those are endearing kinds of weird."

"Endearing for you maybe! I don't know about the mother who had to try and answer her son when he asked what you were reading at the marketplace."

"She said I was reading a fantasy story, which is sort of true considering how more than half of what's in there consists of most straight males' fantasies..."

"Stop. Talking. Now. Kakashi."

"Point is...No harm done and I'm in no way anything like Gai! He's creepy and I'm...I'm smexy."

"Smexy? Is that even a word?!"

"Yes, it is. In fact, my picture's right next to the definition."

I raise an eyebrow at him.

"C'mon, Sakura, how can you resist smexy?" Kakashi persists, grinning at me behind his mask.

"You get away from her you perv!" A shrill young male voice shouts out before a blur of blond, orange, and black tackles Kakashi hard to the ground.

Maybe Ichiraku Ramen for a late breakfast wasn't such a good idea for our first date after all.

To be continued...


	7. Making A Stand

Disclaimer: I do not own "Naruto."

Note: THANK YOU to everyone who's reviewed so far, especially to the "regulars." I always look forward to your reviews and enjoy them. Thanks again!

**Chapter 7-Making A Stand**

_"What the fuck?!"_

"I don't care if you did used to be our sensei! Nobody takes advantage of Sakura-chan like that!"

"Naruto, I wasn't..._OW!"_

"Don't worry, Sakura-chan! I'll take care of him for-_OW!_ What the hell, Sakura?!"

"We're on a date!" I shout angrily at Naruto whilst punching him and causing an anthill-sized lump to erupt on the top of his head.

"Y-You're on a _what?!"_ Naruto sputters as Hinata, who saw everything, runs over to comfort him. I feel a slight tinge of guilt, but I've gotten so used to knocking Naruto out whenever he says or does anything stupid that it's become second nature. Oops! Too late now. Besides, I could've sworn I heard Hinata shouting for him to stop as well.

"But how could you be on a date with _him!_ He kept saying 'sex me' to you over and over again!"

"Naruto, I wasn't saying 'sex me' to Sakura, I was saying 'smexy'." Kakashi tries to explain, and like Hinata to Naruto, I rush over to Kakashi to fuss over his wounds.

"Smexy? What the heck is that?! Is that even a word?!" Naruto yells hysterically.

"It's 'smart' and 'sexy' put together, but with fangirls it means smut and...Aw, never mind!" Kakashi's head falls back onto my lap as he grasps it with both hands as if he has the most monstrous headache. Slowly and carefully I begin to heal him.

"Sakura-chan?" Naruto asks.

I can't see him with my back turned to him, but I can feel his burning gaze on the back of my head.

"We're on a date." I repeat, tenderly brushing Kakashi's bangs away from his face. As he slowly sits up, we exchange smiles, his grateful for my healing and mine grateful for his recovery.

"But, he's old..."

"He's not even old enough to be my father, Naruto." I say, still not looking at him and instead help Kakashi get back on his feet.

"He's our sensei..."

"Not anymore and not for a long time. And that's also why I trust him. That's why I want to give him a chance." I take Kakashi's arm and wrap it around my shoulder, letting him lean against me for support as we slowly make our way back into Ichiraku's.

"Sakura..."

"Naruto." This time it's Hinata's gentle voice that stops him.

I turn my head back around quick enough to see Naruto still looking back at me bewildered with Hinata lightly touching his arm, looking at him beseechingly. I give him one last small smile, tighten my embrace around Kakashi's waist and never look back.

To be continued...

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This will be my last update until the holidays are over, 'til then Happy Holidays everyone!


	8. Love Is Not Jealous

Disclaimer: I do not own "Naruto."

Note: I hope everyone had a good holiday! Thank you for all the reviews, favs, and alerts!

Also, just-me14 from Deviant Art brought up a very valid point. Sakura didn't react right in Ch. 7. She reacted more the way I would've reacted instead of how she would've reacted, so I've re-written Ch. 7 so that Sakura isn't out of character.

**Chapter 8-Love Is Not Jealous**

Love is not jealous.

"Whatever! If there's no jealousy, then there's no love!"

-my Uncle Harry (_My_ uncle, not Sakura's uncle)

* * *

I glare at Ayame. This is the third time she's come over to Kakashi and asked him if he needs anything. But I know exactly what that over-attentive little (count to ten, Sakura...) _waitress_ really means. What she really means is, "Kakashi, do you need _me_? Because if you'd like, I'll happily throw myself at you since I've seen your face all those years ago and am now completely smitten with you, even though I don't know a thing about you, have nothing in common with you, and only want to get in your pants because you're so goddamn hot! Hehe!" Blush and bat of the eyes.

_Crack!_

Ugh! And I've just snapped my third pair of chopsticks today!

"Sakura, are you alright?" Kakashi looks at me worriedly as I check to make sure (again) that I didn't get any splinters.

"I'm fine, Kakashi." I smile unconvincingly back at him.

"Okay..."

"More napkins?" Ayame continues her "conversation" with Kakashi.

_Count to ten, Sakura. One..._

"No thanks, Ayame. I've got plenty."

"Are you sure? There's plenty in the back!"

_Stop incessantly smiling at him you little...Two..._

"I'm fine, Ayame. Really."

"Well, you can never have enough napkins you know?!"

_He's not interested, can't you see that?!...Three..._

"What about soy sauce? Can never have enough soy sauce!"

"Um, actually, if you put too much soy sauce, won't it make the soup salty?"

_He's not taking your bait, so why don't you just take a spatula and shove it up your...Four..._

"You know, you're right. Of course you're right! You're so smart!"

"Um...right..."

_Otherwise, I'll happily do it for you...Five..._

"What about some more-"

_That's it! I've had enough!_

I blatantly place my hand on top of Kakashi's and give it a little squeeze.

"So, Kakashi. Where exactly are you planning to take me on this little _date_ of ours?" At my emphasis on the word "date" Ayame's smiling face, to my deep pleasure, immediately falls.

"Y-You're on a date with _her_? But isn't she a little young?" Ayame asks, completely ignoring me and speaking solely to Kakashi.

"Actually..."

"_Actually,_ Kakashi and I both agree that our age difference doesn't matter much." I answer confidently for Kakashi.

"But isn't she your student or something?" Ayame continues to speak only to Kakashi.

"_Was_ being the operative word. The Godaime is my teacher now." I narrow my eyes at Ayame.

"But..."

"So does this mean you're going to take your mask off for me from now on?" I give Kakashi's hand another tight squeeze and give him a radiant smile, taking my turn to ignore Ayame.

"Sakura..."

"C'mon, Kakashi! How do you expect to eat your ramen?"

"Really, really fast?"

"You can get an ulcer if you always rush through your food like that, you know?"

"Is that so?"

"I'm a medic, Kakashi. I know these sorts of things. And by the way you inhale your food just to hide your face, I _know_ you're not chewing your food properly. You're supposed to put your eating utensils down after each bite to ensure that you're chewing your food right."

"Geez, thanks for the advice, mom."

"Fine, Kakashi. Don't listen to me. Just don't ask for my help when you come into the hospital with a ruptured ulcer one of these days."

"All this just to see my face, Sakura?"

"Ah, but you forget, Kakashi. I _have_ seen your face already. When you kissed me. Twice."

I hear Ayame give a little squeak and Naruto (who came back inside with Hinata a little while ago) gasp "Twice?! But I only saw him kiss her once! When did he-" But I pointedly ignore them both.

"Fine, Sakura. But not here."

"Why not?"

"Because...There are other people around. Last night was a fluke. When I show my face to you, Sakura, I want it to be for you and only you."

Another small squeak from Ayame, another gasp from Naruto. Even Hinata and Teuchi, Ayame's dad, give a small "oh!"

"That's...romantic, Kakashi."

"I'm _very_ romantic, Sakura. So hurry up and finish your ramen so that I can show you just how much."

"You're going to make me get an ulcer."

"I'm going to make you do more than that once I show you my face."

_"What?!"_ Ayame, Naruto, Teuchi, and I say in unison. Hinata says nothing and just blushes profusely.

"Oh, sorry! Didn't mean to say that part out loud." Kakashi blushes under his mask, sweatdrops, and scratches the back of his neck nervously. Despite my warnings, he swivels around on his stool facing away from all of us to face the street and Ichiraku's conveniently placed banners instead. Bowl of ramen in one hand and chopsticks in the other, Kakashi only turns back around less than a minute later when his bowl is already completely empty.

"Ugh!" We all say in disappointed unison, each for our different reasons. Ayame and Teuchi at not seeing his face for a second time, Naruto and Hinata for not seeing his face for a first time, and me at his not heeding my words and continuing to eat his food improperly.

I frown at him disapprovingly and make him wait patiently as _I_ eat my food properly and am full and satisfied 10 minutes later.

"So where to next?" I ask, wiping my mouth clean with my napkin.

Kakashi takes his own napkin and to my and everyone else's shock, dabs it on the corner of my mouth to get a spot I obviously missed.

"I'm thinking a nice, dark movie theater." He smiles down at me with one half-hooded, sparkling eye.

Squeak from Ayame. Gasp from Naruto. Small "oh!" from Hinata and Teuchi.

"Perfect." I smile back at him and take his hand as he helps me off my stool. Kakashi surprises all of us again by paying for both of our meals and doesn't release my hand even after I'm back on my feet. We walk out of Ichiraku's holding hands.

I don't look back. I don't have to. I already know that Ayame, Naruto, Hinata, and Teuchi are gaping at us.

_Love is not jealous, but if there's no jealousy, then there's no love._

Why does that phrase keep repeating itself over and over in my head? So, I was jealous. Doesn't mean I'm in love. Am I in love?

NAH! I was just trying to get Ayame to lay off, wasn't I?

Kakashi releases my hand only to wrap his arm around my shoulders and gently kiss me on the top of the head. I find myself leaning comfortably into his embrace and smiling silly our entire walk to the movie theater.

_Wasn't I?_

To be continued...


	9. The Walls Are Crumbling

Disclaimer: I do not own "Naruto" or the movie they're watching.

Note: THANK YOU for all the positive feedback, faves, and alerts. You guys make my day a happy one!

**Chapter 9-The Walls Are Crumbling  
**

"Why do all the tall ones always sit in front of me? A theater full of empty seats and where does the tallest person decide to sit? In front. Of me. Always." Ino huffs, folding her arms in front of her chest in irritation. "And what's up with that hair?! I mean, seriously! His hair alone makes him at least a foot taller than he already is!"

"Oh, I'm sorry Ino. I didn't see you there. I'll switch with Sakura if you'd like."

"Kakashi-sensei?" Ino exclaims, matching the voice to the silhouetted figure in front of her.

"Yo." Kakashi replies with a happy eye crease and a salute.

"Are you guys on a date?!" Ino grins ear to ear, eyes shining at Kakashi and me.

"Yes, as a matter-of-fact we are." I say with a slight edge to my voice, challenging Ino to say anything bad about it, but to my surprise Ino responds instead with an enthusiastic, "Ha! I knew it! After what happened last night and that not so private talk you two had this morning, I figured as much. Good for you, Forehead!"

At that moment, I remember why Ino is my best friend.

I smile back at her, then continue switching seats with Kakashi. He and I have barely sat back down when a languid voice behind Kakashi mumbles, "How troublesome. Now _I _can't see!"

"Shikamaru?!" I ask bewildered. "Are you and Ino-"

"Hi there." A female voice interrupts me.

"Temari?!" I ask in even greater shock.

"How troublesome." Shikamaru repeats.

My eyes jump from Ino's perturbed expression on Shikamaru's left, to Temari's equally perturbed expression on Shikamaru's right, and in-between the two equally peeved women sits Shikamaru holding his head between his hands as if wishing he was anywhere else simply watching the clouds roll by.

"What the-" I begin. "Never mind. I don't even want to know!" I say, turning back around in my seat to face the movie screen.

The first thing to disappear is the armrest. Kakashi raises it up and casually rests his hand on my knee instead. I turn around and raise an eyebrow at him.

"What?" He asks with a smirk on his face.

"Nothing." I say with a shake of my head, turning back around to watch the movie that's finally begun after all the previews after the previews before the _actual_ previews. Sometimes it gets so overwhelming that I don't even remember what movie I came in for in the first place!

"And now for our feature presentation..." Mr. Voiceover booms.

Ah, that's right! Something about the Loch Ness Monster! I sit back comfortably in my seat with the heat and weight of Kakashi's hand on my knee and lose myself in the beautiful landscape and foreign accents of Scotland.

I'm quite enjoying myself and am completely lost in the story until...

"I LOVE THIS PART! This is the part where Crusoe gets chased by the bulldog!" A loud, obnoxious voice resounds a few seats behind us and a little bit to our right.

Naruto.

"Watch, watch! This is the part where they run across the dinner table!"

"SHH!!" Half the theater and I shush Konoha's Number One Loudmouth.

"SHH!! Yourself!" Naruto retorts vehemently. Just then, most likely because of Kakashi's untamely mop, he spots us. Crap...

"Oi, Kakashi-sensei! I'm watching you!" Naruto threatens, standing up, pointing two fingers at his eyes, then pointing one finger at Kakashi.

I slap a hand over my eyes and shake my head. _Idiot!_

"SHH!!" The entire theater shushes him this time.

"Alright already!" Naruto cries out loud and thankfully sits back down. Beside him, even in the dark theater, Hinata is blushing uncontrollably. _Poor girl! _Well, it's not like she didn't know what she was getting herself into. Besides, with her patience and quiet demeanor, she's the perfect compliment to Naruto's impatient obnoxiousness.

I turn around and again find myself laughing at Crusoe's antics when I notice Kakashi starting to lean closer towards me.

_Well, okay. If he must..._

I lift my legs up and tuck them beneath me before comfortably resting my head on his shoulder. He wraps his arm around my body and I feel him tilt his head to rest his cheek against the crown of my head. I disguise my elation by laughing at a fully grown water horse getting payback on a bulldog whimpering pathetically on shore.

I can feel the walls crumbling...I'm not even sure that they're there anymore.

Then somewhere behind us...

"Oi! I said I'm watching you!"

To be continued...

* * *

I'm not sure if I'll be able to update before the New Year, so I hope the New Year brings you good health, happiness, and lots of smexiness! See you in 2008!


	10. A Year of Firsts

Disclaimer: I do not own "Naruto."

Note: Happy New Year's Eve! THANK YOU for all the wonderful reviews! Glad I made you laugh! You guys make me laugh, too, with your reviews, so thank you!

Anyway, I got curious and did some research on the Japanese New Year through Wikipedia and YouTube. This is what I found out and I wanted to squeeze it in before the New Year gets here so that when it does, we know how our friends in Japan are spending it.

**Chapter 10-A Year of Firsts**

Kakashi couldn't have picked a better day of the year to have our first date, first kiss, first everything, because New Year's Day, after all, is all about firsts...First sunrise, first laughter, first dream, first love...First love?! Where did _that_ come from?! Kakashi's not my first love! Sasuke is. Was. Is. Fuck...

Getting back on track...

New Year's is the most important celebration of the year so there's plenty to do on our first date.

Brightly colored kites fly high above us in a clear blue sky. A shuttlecock clicks from one beautifully decorated paddle called a "hagoita" to another in a game similar to badminton called "hanetsuki." Little kids squeal as one of their blindfolded friends tries to "Pin the Eyes, Nose, and Mouth on the Face" in a game similar to "Pin the Tail on the Donkey" called "fukuwarai." Even the adults are busy throwing dice on a board game similar to backgammon called "sugoroku."

But what in all this activity catches my eye?...

"Ooo...Mochi!"

Kakashi laughs at me as I leave his sorry ass behind, but I don't care. I'm too busy watching the dance going on between the man swinging his huge wooden mallet and the man who keeps pulling his hands out from under it. Between these two men a large lump of dough lies victim inside a large stone bowl. As the man with the mallet pounds the crap out of it, the other man quickly kneads and turns it over between blows so that the other man can pound the crap out of it again. It's fun to watch both for the rhythm and the skill of the men and also, masochistically enough, for the possible danger it imposes upon the hammerless man. But aside from that, I just _love_ those sticky dumplings!

"I can buy you some if you'd like." Kakashi kindly offers.

"Yes, I'd love some!" I say, feeling no guilt for taking advantage of Kakashi's uncharacteristic generosity. Heck, we are on a date, after all...

Happily sucking the fine, white, powdered sugar off each of my fingers, I catch Kakashi staring intently down at me. His eye is half-hooded, glazed over, and even though he's looking directly at me, there's a faraway look in it. Oh, geez! Is he thinking about me sucking his...

"Oi, I'm still watching you!" Naruto shouts out as he passes us by on the street, his fingers entwined with Hinata's.

"Are you following us?!" I ask incredulously.

Naruto shrinks a little, probably from fear of my clobbering him again.

"N-No, Sakura-chan! It's not like that! It's just that it is New Year's and you can't help but run into the festival. It's everywhere!"

"Fine. But would you please stop threatening my..." _Boyfriend?_ Shit, is that what Kakashi, my ex-sensei, my friend, my teammate, a man 14 years my senior is to me now?

"Just stop with the threats, okay Naruto? I can take care of myself."

"But he reads 'Come, Come-'"

_"I can take care of myself, Naruto!"_ I ground out, trying to gesture with my eyes at all the little kids and sweet little old ladies and their dog in the nearby vicinity.

"...In public!" Naruto finishes anyway. "He's a per-"

"Perfect gentleman and believe me, if he tries anything without my permission-"

I give Kakashi a significant glare. I see his eye widen in fright and even Naruto and Hinata, whom my glare wasn't focused upon, audibly wince.

"Uh, right." Naruto says hoarsely. "Well, good luck to ya!" Naruto claps a hand on Kakashi's shoulder, making a quick exit with his girlfriend.

"You didn't really mean that, right?" Kakashi asks, rubbing the back of his neck in discomfort.

"And why wouldn't I? Just because we're on a date, actually, most _especially_ since we're on a date, I expect you to treat me as nothing less than a lady! I've let you get away with a lot of things so far, but if you do anything that I really don't want you to-"

I give him another glare.

"Geez, Sakura! You could put Yamato's 'scary face' to shame!"

"Well, I did learn a few things from him while you were stuck in the hospital."

"Like what?" Kakashi's voice suddenly grows dark.

"Why Hatake Kakashi, are you jealous?!"

"Like what, Sakura?" Kakashi repeats, continuing to look dead serious at me.

"the scary face?" I say weakly.

"Better be all." Kakashi mumbles before placing his hand possessively around my waist and leading me away.

Well, how's that for a first? Kakashi. Jealous. And you know what they say about jealousy...

I feel Kakashi tighten his grip around my waist even more.

_No way..._

To be continued...

* * *

Well, that's officially my last fanfic for 2007! Don't know if you guys saw my updated end note in the previous chapter, but if not, here it is again..."Hope your New Year brings you good health, happiness, and lots of smexiness!" Well, I can't guarantee you guys the good health part, but I'll try my very best to accomplish at least the last two in the new year. See you in 2008! Happy New Year everyone!


	11. The First Time Kakashi Reveals His Past

Disclaimer: I do not own "Naruto."

Note: Happy New Year everybody! Hope you're having a good one so far! Thank you as always for all the wonderful reviews! Would it be wrong if I said reviews are like crack to me? Just a little wrong...maybe? Anyway...just a heads up that this chapter is going to be a little different in tone from the previous ones. It's what my muse told me to write and I like to listen to my muse.

Also, I got the info for the tradition mentioned below from "New Year Traditions in Japan" by Imperage on YouTube and page 126 of "Japan, a View from the Bath" By Scott Clark which I also found online.

**Chapter 11-The First Time Kakashi Shares His Past**

"C'mon, Sakura. You don't have to walk behind me. I wouldn't have asked you to come along if I didn't want you with me."

I was trying to give him a respectable distance, but what he says is true, so I quicken my pace to catch up to him. I find that even though he walks slowly, lazily almost, it still takes me two steps to catch up with his single long-legged one. Damn me for being vertically challenged!

I gaze up at his one exposed eye and am glad that I'm walking on his right. I can read him like a book just by that one facial attribute.

He catches me watching him from the corner of his eye and he reaches his hand out to me. When I take it, his eye as expected, creases happily as he smiles beneath his mask. And there it is, also as expected, my fickle heart beating extra beats. Stupid heart, always making me fall for the wrong guy! Why do I even listen to you?! Why couldn't you make me fall for someone my own age?! And revenge, power-seeking, emo boys don't count! For crying out loud, do you enjoy getting stomped on?!

Kakashi slows to a stop and I slowly stop beside him. I watch in silence as he dips a rag into a bucket full of cool, clean water that he has been carrying. Then I watch as he carefully and lovingly washes a few select names on the memorial stone.

Another New Year's Day tradition. To wash the gravestones of those who have moved on before us. It's an act of purification that cleanses and refreshes the dead, but in a sense it's purification for the living as well.

All these years that I've know this man, I've known his tardiness to be caused by these people whose memories are forever etched in stone, yet I know nothing about them. But something about being with Kakashi right here, right now, upon his request, gives me the guts to be daring.

"Who are they?" I ask, keeping my voice low in respect.

"The closest thing I had to a family." Kakashi says softly, giving me a sad smile.

My heart is clenching again, but this time for an entirely different reason.

"He, was like a father to me." Kakashi says, gently trailing the damp washcloth against what I recognize to be the Fourth's name.

"He, was like my brother. My irritating, annoying little brother, but still my brother." I'm shocked to see the cloth dampen the clan name "Uchiha" followed by the first name "Obito." My mind quickly connects this person, whoever he is, to Kakashi's mysteriously implanted Sharingan. Could it be?

"And she, I loved like a sister."

As he washes the engraved name of "Rin," I watch the water drip from it like streaming tears.

"My team, when I was younger." Kakashi answers my question before I even ask it.

I take my turn reaching out my hand to his. He takes it and this time our fingers entwine, the warmth of my hand warming the chill of his soaked one.

"And your real family?" I ask quietly, leaning against him so that my left arm and shoulder presses hard against his right.

"They're not here. My mother was a civilian and even though my father was a shinobi, he was disgraced. Doesn't change the fact that he was a great man."

"No. I'm sure it doesn't." I say, wondering exactly what had happened, but Kakashi has already revealed more than he has in all the 10 years that I've known him.

"People you love come first." Kakashi says, lifting up my hand to his masked lips and giving it a soft kiss. "That's what he died for and was disgraced for, in case you're wondering."

I think my body temperature just grew 10 degrees warmer and I don't care if it is January, I could dump that bucket of cold water over my head right now!

"How could you be disgraced for an honorable philosophy like that?" I ask, trying to keep my voice even in contrast to my again racing heart.

"You'd be surprised, Sakura." He answers, kissing my hand for a second time, this time placing his kiss on the inside of my wrist of my upturned hand.

_Oh, God, Kakashi! What are you doing to me?!_

As this thought streaks through my mind, another comes. One that burns me with anger:

What _right_ do people have to judge love?!

To be continued...


	12. The First Dance

Disclaimer: I do not own "Naruto" or "No One" by Alicia Keys.

Note: Thank you for all the reviews, faves, and alerts. Did I ever tell you how happy they make me?

Also, the small bit of info mentioned about the Japanese New Year was taken from Wikipedia.

**Chapter 12-The First Dance**

"I don't understand. How could you not?" Kakashi asks with a smirk, his one visible eye sparkling down at me.

"Had no reason to. When you know it's always going to be there, you just automatically put it off until you never do it at all. It's human nature to procrastinate." I say with an offhanded shrug of my shoulders.

"Never take things for granted, Sakura, even if you think it'll always be there. You'll only regret it when you wake up one day and find that it's gone."

"_I know._ It's just so easy to get lost in everyday life and forget."

"And yet, not taking things for granted is what breaks up that monotony in the first place. C'mon, Sakura. How could you miss out on all _this_ after all these years?" He asks, looking out into the distance and prompting me to do the same.

I put down my jubako box filled with osechi (a traditional dish eaten on New Year's consisting mainly of seafood) and take my place next to him near the rock's edge.

I gotta admit, the man's got a point.

Looking out into the quiet, still night, we see all of Konohagakure spread out below us, sparkling like the stars hovering above in a sea of ink-black sky.

It's breathtaking.

"You're right, Kakashi. What _was_ I thinking to miss out on something like this after all these years?"

We exchange smiles and stand close together in comfortable silence. Somehow I think our conversation isn't really about the view atop the Hokage Monument anymore, while somewhere off in the distance, a soft melody drifts through the air.

"Crazy kids. Can't keep their music down." Kakashi mumbles, but he's smiling down at me and his hand is outstretched in offer.

I smile back and silently take his hand in acceptance, letting him pull me into a slow dance, his hand resting low on my back and mine resting high up on his shoulder. But as for our joined hands, he doesn't hold them up in the air like you normally would while dancing. Instead, he rests them intimately close to his heart.

**_I just want you close  
Where you can stay forever_**

I'm vaguely aware of us swaying to the music, our feet not really moving, but I'm distracted by other things, like the way he's looking at me now.

**_You can be sure  
That it will only get better_**

It's the same way he was looking out on all of Konoha...

**_You and me together  
Through the days and nights_**

Like he's never seen anything more beautiful...

**_I don't worry 'cause  
Everything's gonna be alright_**

Like I'm something so valuable, that he'll never take me for granted.

**_People keep talking  
They can say what they like_**

This is all new to me. I have been taken for granted before...

**_But all I know is everything's gonna be alright_**

And had my heart broken.

**_No one, no one, no one  
Can get in the way of what I'm feeling_**

But right now he's only making my heart feel light and complete...

**_No one, no one, no one  
Can get in the way of what I feel for you_**

And there's nowhere else and no one else I'd rather be with right now.

**_You, you  
Can get in the way of what I feel for you_**

I can feel him pulling me close, closer than I already am and I let him.

**_When the rain is pouring down  
And my heart is hurting_**

I rest my cheek against his chest breathing him in and taking in his warmth, our clasped hands held between our rapidly beating hearts...

**_You will always be around  
This I know for certain_**

I feel him press his masked lips on the crown of my head and somehow it feels right. Everything feels right...

**_You and me together  
Through the days and nights_**

I lift my eyes up to his again and his eye is still sparkling down at me, creased in a smile...

**_I don't worry 'cause  
Everything's gonna be alright_**

I raise my hand up to his cheek and he puts his hand on top of mine, pressing it harder against him.

**_People keep talking  
They can say what they like_**

Then he raises my other hand up to his other cheek, slowly making me pull down his mask...

**_But all I know is everything's gonna be alright_**

My breath is caught in my throat and my heart feels like it's beating impossibly fast. I don't really understand it because I've already seen his face before...

**_No one, no one, no one  
Can get in the way of what I'm feeling_**

But then again, that may be the reason why...

**_No one, no one, no one  
Can get in the way of what I feel for you_**

I was already falling for him before he showed me his face...

**_You, you  
Can get in the way of what I feel_**

And now, looking at him looking very handsome and unbelievably _young..._

**_I know some people search the world  
To find something like what we have_**

I'm falling even faster and harder than before...

**_I know people will try  
Try to divide  
Something so real_**

As he lowers his head down at the same time I lift mine up for a soft, lingering kiss, I know my fate has been sealed...

**_So 'til the end of time  
I'm telling you that_**

I'm in love.

**_No one, no one, no one  
Can get in the way of what I'm feeling_**

Hopelessly, recklessly, in love.

**_No one, no one, no one  
Can get in the way of what I feel for you  
Oh oh oh oh..._**

To be continued...


	13. The First Dream

Disclaimer: I do not own "Naruto."

Thank you for all the kind reviews and words of encouragement. It really lifts my spirit up, especially since I'm going through a family crisis right now. I may or may not churn out chapters like I used to, but then again, this _is_ my outlet and escape so it can go either way. Anyway, thanks again!

WARNING: Really short chapter up ahead. Also, **LIME**. I was planning to do a lemon, but it didn't feel right so the story remains rated "T." Sorry guys! Yet I know some of you are going "Phew! I can keep reading then..." Seriously, I can't gage you guys! For the lemon people, don't worry, I'm a lemon writer. It's going to happen. For the anti-lemon people, don't worry, I'm also a fluff writer. It's not going to happen for awhile...

* * *

**Chapter 13-The First Dream**

* * *

"I can honestly say, Kakashi, that was the best date I've ever had. Thank you." 

"It's just one of many, Sakura, but you're welcome."

I catch his eye sparkling down at me, creased in a smile and I feel my face flush immediately.

Goddammit! How is it that this man can get my body temperature to rise with just one eyeball and a few choice words?!

I hold my breath as he slowly lifts his hand up to my face, gently tracing the curve of my jaw with the lightest touch of his fingertips. He then raises his hand up again to carefully tuck a stray strand of hair behind my ear.

My vision is tunneling now. Maybe it's about time I resumed breathing...

I watch, frozen, as he lowers his head down to mine, letting his nose and mouth follow the same path his fingers had, only moving up my jaw instead of down, just barely grazing it until he reaches the spot between my lower left earlobe and the corner of my jaw, gracing it with a soft, lingering kiss.

I was trying to get back to doing something. What was it again?...

His head ducks lower still, moving down the side of my neck to nuzzle it. I can feel the slight shift of air and warmth of his breath as he breathes me in.

Breathing. That's what it was...

His nuzzling is turning into kisses and his kisses into soft bites.

My eyes are drifting shut, either because what he's doing feels _really good_ or I'm suffering from oxygen loss, can't really tell...

I comb my fingers through his hair where it's shortest in the back. At the same time that I'm thinking "Ooo, how soft!" I feel his kiss deepen against my neck.

Well, _that's _going to leave a mark...

I can feel his kisses getting hungrier until he's grabbing onto the nape of my neck, gently pulling my head back so that he can get easier access to my throat. It hurts and feels good all at the same time...

"Kakashi..."

"Mmm..."

"We should probably stop..."

Heavy breathing.

"I'm serious, Kakashi..."

"Sakura...don't you think..."

Kiss.

"It's a little bit..."

Kiss _and_ suck.

"Late now?"

Kiss, suck, _and_ bite.

"But you're not even in ye-_Oh God!"_

"Oh God!"

With my head held tightly in my hands, I sit straight up alone in my bed, heart wildly racing.

Now I'm _dreaming_ about him, too?! _Goddammit!_

To be continued...


	14. The First Mission

Disclaimer: I do not own "Naruto." I am not making any money from writing this...though that sure would've been nice!

Thank you for the reviews and comforting words. It was very kind and sweet of you. I truly appreciate it!

* * *

**Chapter 14-The First Mission**

* * *

As a ninja, you are taught to be aware. 

Be aware of your surroundings. Be aware of the people around you. Be aware of any suspicious behavior.

Be aware because it just might save your life.

But what if it isn't a life and death situation? What if you just become completely aware of someone you never really gave notice to before? What does it mean then?

"Sakura! Are you even listening to me!"

"Sorry, Shishou."

"You seem distracted. Why do you keep looking at the door?"

Now I feel not only Tsunade's eyes on me, but Naruto's and Yamato's as well.

"I was just wondering if Kaka-sensei would be joining us for this mission." I say, trying to sound as offhanded as possible, but my face feels warm, first from being caught staring at the door and now at being stared _at._

"Yes, he will be. He's just late as usual." Tsunade says with an exasperated roll of her eyes.

"Oh, good!" I say in relief.

Tsunade quickly quirks an eyebrow up at me as do Naruto and Yamato.

Oh, geez! If even Naruto of all people is catching on, then I must be_ really _obvious!

"Why do you care so much anyway?" Tsunade asks as three pairs of eyes bear down on me even more intensely than before.

I feel myself wanting to shrink and disappear even before she asks the next question.

"This doesn't have anything to do with what happened on New Year's, does it?"

_Just kill me now! _

"Well..."

"Yo."

"Kakashi! You're late!" Tsunade spits out.

Phew! For once Kakashi's timing is impeccable!

"Sorry, I-"

"'Got lost on the road of life'? Hatake, I swear as Hokage that if you use that line one more time-"

"Actually, what I was going to say was that I had a bit of good news to share with my old team and I lost track of time. Sorry, Tsunade-sama."

"Wow. I'm surprised, Kakashi. That's the first time I've ever gotten a straight answer from you!"

"What old team?! _We're_ his old team! What is he talking about?!" Naruto asks in confusion.

Huh. How 'bout that? If it weren't for our date yesterday, I'd have been in the same boat as Naruto.

I wonder if he was talking about me to Obito...

"What are you smiling about?! What do you know that I don't know?!" Naruto asks, narrowing his eyes at me.

"I wasn't-"

"What is_ he_ doing here?!" Kakashi asks, narrowing his own eyes at Yamato who's looking a bit petrified by the way his old sempai is glaring at him for no apparent reason at all.

"What is _wrong_ with you, Kakashi?! He's here because I asked him to be here! Do you have a problem with that?!" Tsunade asks incredulously.

"But what about Sai? What happened to him?"

"Sai's already on a mission with Root. Now if we can get back to-"

"But why Yamato?"

"Why not Yamato?! You've never had a problem with him before! Is there a reason you suddenly disapprove of him being on your team, Kakashi?!"

"Well, it's just that-"

For a fleeting second, Kakashi's eye strays over to me before quickly turning back to Tsunade.

"Oh, you gotta be kidding me!" Tsunade says, throwing her hands up in the air. "Okay, _children_. Listen here. You've already wasted more of my time than I care for. I'm only going to say this once then I want you all to get the hell out of my office! You, yes _all _of you..." Tsunade glares at Kakashi before he can even open up his mouth again, "Are going to the daimyo's estate, yes _the_ daimyo, _our_ daimyo's estate to escort his daughter to Wind Country to meet up with her fiance. They are to be wed in 3 weeks time so it's important to get her to her destination quickly. It's a simple mission with good pay. The only reason it's B-rank is because the persons involved are so high-profile and just so you know, the mission itself may quickly turn A-rank. We're talking high collateral here if the daimyo's daughter somehow gets taken en route. Remember, she's valuable to both Fire _and_ Wind Country and _that _is why I'm sending two ANBU elites along on this mission." Tsunade says, seeming to focus her explanation specifically on Kakashi. "Anyway, that being said..." she says, turning her attention back to all of us, "Stay Alert! Like I said, this mission is easy. I want it kept that way! You're all dismissed! Except you, Hatake!" Tsunade glowers at Kakashi.

I feel Kakashi freeze, then fall back behind me. I miss his close proximity already...

Be aware.

The adage doesn't just apply to life and death situations. Sometimes it's to keep you from falling and from falling hard, and yet, sometimes you just can't help it. Life and love just have a way of sneaking up on you, no matter how careful you try to be.

As we all file out, I take one last glance at Kakashi. I see his Adam's apple bob up and down beneath his mask as he swallows hard. He's nervous. In fact, he seems to be withering in front of Shishou's commanding form. I immediately feel sorry for him, but at the same time I can't help but worry:

_What is she going to say to him?! _

To be continued...


	15. The First Time Kakashi Makes A Stand

Disclaimer: I do not own "Naruto." I am not making any money from writing this, but since I'm writing this at work instead of doing _actual_ work, maybe I am getting paid for this...

Thank you to all of you who reviewed! Here's an Internet hug...(hug)

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**Chapter 15-The First Time Kakashi Makes A Stand**

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_**People keep talking  
They can say what they like...**_

**_No one can get in the way of what I feel for you..._**

* * *

"What the hell is your problem?! Where do you get off questioning my decisions like that in front of everybody?! I don't care if you are Konoha's famous Copy Nin, I'm freakin' Hokage for God's sake!" 

"I'm sorry, Tsunade-sama. It won't happen again."

"It better not! And what is your problem with Yamato anyway?! Seriously, Kakashi, if looks could kill..."

"I'm just trying to keep what's mine, mine."

"Keep what's yours, yours...And that's another thing! What do you think you're doing with my apprentice?! I should hang you by your pinkies for so much as _thinking_ about her in that way you goddamn pervert!"

"We're dating."

"You're _what?! _Since when?!"

"Since yesterday."

"But you didn't even ask for my permission!"

"Didn't think I had to. Sakura's a grown woman."

"She's _my_ apprentice, Kakashi! Her business is my business because this entire village, country, whatever, makes my business theirs. Everything reflects back onto me and not only that, I _care_ for Sakura. I see myself in her. It's the main reason I took her on as my apprentice in the first place! So God help me, if you so much as hurt her..."

"I have no intention of doing that."

"We all have the best of intentions when we first enter into a relationship, Kakashi, but once we're further into it..."

"You seem to have confidence that our relationship will last then." Kakashi says with a sly smirk under his mask.

"I didn't...I wasn't implying...I'll punch you all the way to Suna if you break her heart, you hear me Hatake!"

"If I break her heart, I'll exile myself to Suna. I'm more worried about her breaking _my_ heart."

"And what is that supposed to mean?"

"I'm an old bachelor, Tsunade-sama. Old bachelors don't suddenly start pursuing a woman unless they're serious."

"You're serious about her then? Like 'I want to marry her and start banging out kids with her'?"

"Like I said...I'm more worried about Sakura breaking my heart. I'm in this for keeps, but she's still young. I can't be so sure she feels the same way."

_"I do."_ I whisper softly on the other side of Tsunade's office door, my ear still pressed hard against its smooth surface as I eavesdrop.

"Kakashi, you do realize people are going to talk."

"Let 'em. I'm not in this relationship for their sakes."

"As cavalier as that sounds..."

"They can't pull the whole 'But she's your student' card. She's _your _student now. You've had her for far longer than I ever had. And as for the difference in our ages, she's in her 20's and I'm in my 30's. Our ages aren't that far off."

"She's barely in her 20's and you're nearing your 40's, how is that not that far off?!"

"All I'm saying is that we get along far better than most couples who are the same age. I'm not immature and impatient like the other young men she's dated and she's not salacious and empty-headed like most women I've dated. I honestly believe we're a good match for each other. We're already friends, know each other pretty damn well, and I'm also pretty damned sure I'm falling hard for her. I've waited 36 long years for a woman like her to come into my life and I'm not letting you, the village, the country, or the entire world itself get in the way of my being with her. My whole life has consisted of loss and heartache. Being with Sakura has given me the chance to experience how the other half lives...happy and complete. So help me, I've fought and risked my life for things less important. I _will _fight for this!"

Dead silence. Then...

"You're arrogant and stupid, Kakashi."

"Fuck you!"

"What do you know? You may have a chance yet." Even through the door, I can hear the smile in Shishou's voice. "But I'm warning you, you better keep your head on straight! I don't want any foul ups on this mission or any others just because you can't stop ogling your former student! And I don't want to hear about how you abused your authority as captain just because you're a jealous boyfriend! And on a completely different subject, I don't want to hear about any _accidents_."

"What are you-Oh, God, no! We're nowhere near that stage yet!"

"I hope not, but I can't be so sure with those books you're always reading and the kind of thoughts they put in that hentai head of yours!"

"When that time comes, I promise we'll be careful."

"You better be! Now get out of my sight! I'm sure Sakura can't wait to see you, can you Sakura?!"

"Uh, yes Shishou!" I yell back through the door. _Shit!_

"You're dismissed, Kakashi!"

The door swings open and I'm suddenly face to face with him.

"So, you feel the same way do you?" Kakashi smirks under his mask, his eye sparkling down at me.

"How did you-"

"My sense of smell is better than Kiba's, but so is my sense of hearing. Now c'mon, we've got a long journey ahead of us and a lot of packing to do." Kakashi says as he glides his hand down my arm to take my hand into his, lacing his fingers through mine.

I can't help but smile and lean my head against his shoulder as we walk out of the Administration Building and into the sun.

...There's just something about a man who stands up for your honor.

To be continued...


	16. The First Time Friendship Takes A Stand

Disclaimer: I do not own "Naruto."

Thank you for all the kind and funny reviews, faves, and alerts! They brighten up my long, boring work days. : )

The small bit of New Year's info comes from Wikipedia.

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**Chapter 16-The First Time Friendship Takes a Stand  
**

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Naruto, Yamato, Kakashi, and I make our way through the crowded streets of Konoha towards the Main Gates. Naruto, always one to overtly display his enthusiasm, walks several paces ahead of us. Yamato, Kakashi, and I take on a more leisurely pace enjoying the clear, sunny sky and cool, January air. 

The New Year's Festival is still going on, hence the throng of people. The festival actually used to last longer, but now it lasts only 3 days: New Year's Eve, New Year's Day, and the day after New Year's. Just another thing to love and miss about our beloved Hidden Leaf Village, but still, nothing beats the excitement of going out on an adventure. You can love your home, consider it the only place you'd ever want to be, miss it and long for it once you're gone, but there is just _something_ about going out on an adventure that makes the adrenaline rush through your veins, pumping you up and making you feel exhilarated and _alive_.

Don't get me wrong, I love my job at the hospital as a medic and at the Administration Building as the Hokage's apprentice, but by far nothing tops the job I was born and bred for...Being a ninja, going out on missions, and traveling the world. True, it would be even better if the high possibility of being killed out on the field wasn't a factor, but hey, you can't have everything can you?

In the midst of all the activity going on around us, something completely different grabs my attention and makes me wonder if any of Shishou's not so gentle words actually sunk in, because I could swear that Kakashi is using his body as a barricade between Yamato and myself.

Let's test that theory, shall we?

Just a little bit slower...Fall back just a little...

Then dash to the left!

Good God, he's fast! There's no doubt he used to be the Yellow Flash's student! Before I even get the chance to sidle up next to the Mokuton user, Kakashi has used his not so small form to keep me the hell away.

"What are you doing?" Yamato asks in calm but evident confusion at the both of us.

"Doing what?" Kakashi asks coolly, continuing to stare lazily off into the distance, walking in his slow pace.

"This!" I say, making another attempt to dash near Yamato's side before Kakashi quickly, but casually blocks me.

"What the hell?..."

Great. Now even Naruto doesn't know what the fuck is going on.

"Kakashi..." I try to keep my voice even.

"What?" He asks with just a hint of a smirk beneath his mask.

"You heard what Shishou said."

"Course I did. What are you trying to imply?"

"Seriously, Kakashi. This..." I try to sprint next to Yamato before I'm cut off again, "Is ridiculous."

"Well, what's wrong with where you're walking now?"

"What's wrong with me trying to walk next to _him_?"

"What's wrong with you walking next to me?"

"What's wrong with me wanting to walk next to the both of you if I walk in-between?"

"What's wrong with you two in the first place?!" Naruto shouts back at us.

"Nothing!" Kakashi and I say in unison.

Yamato simply holds both of his hands up in front of him and steps back away from us.

"I'm not walking down the aisle with him, Kakashi! I'm just trying to walk by his side!"

"Why? What's wrong with walking by me?"

"Not this again..." I slap the palm of my hand to my forehead, but two male voices off to the distance catch my ear.

"Trouble in paradise already?"

"What do you mean?"

"Geez, didn't you hear?!"

"No, what?!"

"He kissed her! On New Year's! In front of _everybody!_"

"No way! Are you serious?! Dammit! Why'd we have to be on guard that day?!"

"We're on guard everyday."

"But wait, isn't he-"

"14 years to be exact and he used to be her sensei no less!"

"Wow, that's just asking for trouble. No wonder they're fighting already..."

For just a second, Kakashi and I forget our little squabble and both turn our heads around to look at the two gossiping guards, Kotetsu and Izumo, but before either of us can even get a word in edgewise, Naruto and Yamato have already stepped in for us.

"Yeah and you know what? I was there! I saw it all for myself! And you know what else? It was awesome! The best thing Kakashi-sensei could've ever done! Yeah I was shocked at first, but you should see them together, I mean aside from how they were just now. But then again, if you only knew _what_ they were fighting about! Anyway, I've never seen Kakashi-sensei happier. I've never seen Sakura-chan happier! They're so, so...mushy." Naruto says, sticking his tongue out. "Anyway, they're happy and good together so just leave them alone, okay?!" Naruto spits out, his blue eyes narrowed and canine teeth flashing.

"And I was there, too. I've never known Kakashi-sempai to do anything rash for as long as I've known him. I highly doubt that what happened on New Year's was any different. That's why I respect him, his decisions, and his actions even on this. So you two might do well to hold your tongues, especially when who you're talking about are only a few feet away." Yamato says calmly, but with a clear edge to his voice.

Kotetsu and Izumo seem to have both shrunk in their seats inside their booth.

"So sorry, Tenzo-san. We didn't mean to-"

"It's not me you need to apologize to." And for added effect, Yamato gives them the "scary face."

Kotetsu and Izumo sink down even lower in their chairs.

"So sorry, Kakashi-san, Sakura-san. We meant no disrespect."

"Thank you." Kakashi and I respond stiffly.

Naruto, Yamato, Kakashi, and I each take our turns signing the log sheet and are relieved to finally step through the Konoha Gates and leave the tense air behind.

"The nerve!" Naruto grumbles under his breath.

"No kidding." Yamato mumbles next to him.

A smile slowly creeps across my face and when I look up at Kakashi, I see that his eye is creased indicating a smile beneath his mask as well.

Our silly fight completely forgotten, I link my arm through Kakashi's. As we watch our two friends walk just a little bit ahead of us, Kakashi and I silently agree: _Talk about having quality friends._

To be continued...


	17. The 1st Time KakaSaku Sleep Together

Disclaimer: I do not own "Naruto."

Thank you for all the reviews! I love hearing from you! It makes writing this story worth it!

**Beware: **Sexual innuendos ahead. If this sort of thing offends you, you might want to skip this chapter.

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**Chapter 17-The First Time Kakashi and Sakura Sleep Together**

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As night falls, we all stand back and watch as a house fit for a large family erupts from the ground. I seriously wonder why Yamato doesn't just quit the ninja business and go into real estate instead. He'd be rich! 

Like a well rehearsed dance, we all file into the house, leave our shoes at the foot of the stairs, climb up to the large empty bedroom, and lay our sleeping bags in our respective corners: Naruto in the bottom left corner by the side of the door, Yamato in the bottom right corner by the other side of the door, me in the upper left corner to one side of the window across the room, and Kakashi...Well, Kakashi...He was _supposed_ to go to the corner directly across from mine, but instead we all watch in shocked and awed silence as he casually lays his sleeping bag right next to mine and plops down on it like this is how it's always been done before.

Okay, I hadn't really considered this when I agreed to go on this mission...

It's one thing when you're boyfriend and girlfriend and you're sleeping together, but it's another thing when you're boyfriend and girlfriend and you're sleeping together but _not_ sleeping together...yet. I mean, how does that even work exactly? Especially when there are other people in the room who are your friends and they _know_ this is your first time sleeping together, but not sleeping together "sleeping together." It's just...weird, and...awkward. It's even weirder and more awkward when you can't ask your significant other to move back to the other side of the room when he's acting like this new sleeping arrangement is perfectly normal and contrary to popular consensus, not at all weird or awkward in any sort of way which, did I mention, only makes things even more weird and awkward?!

Not wanting to bring more attention to the situation, I silently crawl into my own sleeping bag and turn on my side facing _away_ from Kakashi. Unfortunately, this means that I'm now facing Naruto's and Yamato's gawking stares instead. I glare back at them and they each do a strained throat clearing thing before getting back to laying down their own sleeping bags and settling down for the night. It's a relief when Yamato finally blows out the oil lamp and everything falls into darkness. After all, they can't gawk at what they can't see...

I hear rustling behind me and I immediately stiffen and hold my breath. I feel the heat of Kakashi's body intensify as he scoots his sleeping bag and himself closer towards me. I feel the weight of his arm fall across my stomach, the hardness of his chest press against my back, and the warmth of his breath ride against the skin of my neck as he nuzzles his face close to mine. For our first night sleeping together, Kakashi chooses to spoon me.

"Relax, Sakura. Go to sleep." He whispers softly in my ear before taking a gentle whiff of my hair.

Instead, I hold my breath even more and my body stiffens even harder.

Okay, put yourself in my position and_ you_ try relaxing!

But as the minutes tick by and Kakashi doesn't try anymore moves on me and all we hear are the crickets outside, Naruto's deep breaths turning into rumbling snores, and our own even breaths, I can't help but relax and start to fall asleep in Kakashi's embrace. I mean, really, it's actually quite nice. After 22 years of sleeping alone in my bed, it's a pleasant change to feel the warmth and comfort of another human being sleeping next to me, against me, and holding me. It really is nice...Something that I could get used to...

* * *

Light grows brighter on the other side of my closed eyelids. A bird chirps somewhere from outside, and for a fleeting second, my sleep-drugged brain tricks me into thinking that I'm still back home. But as my bleary eyes clear and focus and take in my surroundings, I know that I am anywhere but. 

On the other side of the room, Naruto is splayed out on top of his sleeping bag like a dried up starfish and is still snoring deeply. Near him is Yamato whose back is turned towards me. He's not snoring like Naruto, but I can tell that he's still asleep by the lax of his body and the rhythm of his breath. The man still spooning me, however, is not.

I feel Kakashi's masked nose slowly trail up the side of my neck up to my earlobe. My eyes slowly drift back shut and I feel goosebumps rise up on my skin.

"Morning, Sakura." He murmurs softly in my ear.

"Morning, Kakashi." I murmur back.

I feel him move behind me, then he is propped up on his elbow, bringing his mask down to his neck, and giving me our first ever morning kiss.

As we slowly part, I see his half-hooded eye sparkling down at me and a smile gracing his exposed soft lips and straight white teeth. No fish lips or buckteeth here...

I can't help but smile. After all these years of speculating, it turns out that what he has hidden beneath his mask is the complete opposite of everything we ever imagined. He's handsome. Sinfully so.

He's still smiling at me when he brings his mask back over his face. It is barely back up to his nose when we hear:

"Goddammit! If I had only woken up one minute earlier, I would've finally seen his face!"

Kakashi and I laugh. At least Naruto's more disturbed about _that_ than about having just seen us kiss.

Yamato is awake now as well and already rolling up his sleeping bag.

"Ready to find some breakfast and go?" He asks cheerfully.

"Yes." I affirm.

"Hell, yes!" Is Naruto's own enthusiastic response.

"Um, give me a second." Is Kakashi's hesitant response, however.

"Why? What's wrong?" I ask in concern.

"I'm trying to get the image of Gai in a miniskirt and stilettos in my head."

"Why in God's name would you want to think of something as disturbing as th-Oh!" I say slapping a hand across my mouth as realization sets in.

I'm not the only one who catches on...

"Ew!" Naruto says in disgust, avoiding looking at Kakashi, and making a quick exit out the door.

Yamato simply turns a deep shade of red, ducks his head down in embarrassment, and leaves quickly after Naruto as well.

"Um, I'll be..." I say pointing towards the door.

Kakashi quickly nods his head with his eyes closed and waves for me to go ahead.

I hastily rush out the door after Naruto and Yamato.

I _so_ didn't sign up for this when I agreed to go on this mission!

To be continued...


	18. The First Time Team Kakashi Meets Hiraku

Disclaimer: I do not own "Naruto."

Thank you to everyone who reviewed! I love your feedback!

If you want to see what I'm describing, see these links. Just put dots and underscores where indicated because for some reason, FanFiction doesn't allow web addresses.

**The castle and moat:**

http://en (dot) wikipedia (dot) org/wiki/Japanese (underscore) castle

**The guards:**

http://library (dot) osu (dot) edu/sites/rarebooks/japan/images/full/07/31 (dot) jpg

**The bridge:**

http://www (dot) users (dot) bigpond (dot) com/battleforAustralia/webgraphics/foundationJapmilaggro/Imperial (underscore) Palace (dot) jpg

Most of the informational stuff came from: http://library (dot) thinkquest (dot) org/C001119/design/parse (dot) php3

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**Chapter 18-The First Time Team Kakashi Meets Hiraku  
**

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How could you ever get bored with life? The world is so vast and big, there's so much to see and learn, and there are so many people to meet that if you did somehow live to infinity, there would still be so much to experience and enjoy. Sometimes you don't even have to cross the world to experience all that life has to offer. Sometimes, it's just a matter of exploring your own backyard... 

Although the general flora hasn't really changed in our 3 days of travel through Fire Country (Konoha is called the Village Hidden in the_ Leaves _for a reason after all) the landscape, however, has. For straight ahead of us, atop a large hill, an imposing and extravagant multi-tiered building with pointy, pagoda-style rooftops peaks out at us above all the vegetation. The daimyo's castle.

For 22 years I've lived in Fire Country. Not once in all those 22 years have I set eyes upon the daimyo's castle except in schoolbooks and postcards. And the ironic thing is, it was always easily within my reach. It was just another one of those things that I took for granted because I knew it would always be there.

"Wow..." Naruto and I say in unified awe.

Kakashi and Yamato simply smile in appreciative silence indicating that they, at the very least, have been here before. They let Naruto and I gawk for a couple of more minutes before they have us moving forward once more.

At the palace gates, two regal guards greet us. Somehow, they appear so much more imposing than us and yet we are Fire Country's most elite ninja. Maybe it's the 10 foot pole they hold in their hands that seem ready to knock our heads off, or maybe it's their headgear that reminds me of a cobra when its neck fans out for a strike, or maybe it's all the pads that they wear over their loose fitting clothes that reminds me of American football players ready to tackle us down to the ground. Either way, they look ready to kick some ass. Ours.

Said guards crisscross their poles in front of us and block us from going any further.

"State your business." One of the guards states tritely.

"We're Konoha ninja sent by the Fifth Hokage. We've been hired to escort the daimyo's daughter to Wind Country."

"Scrolls?"

Kakashi presents the guard with the proper paperwork.

"Enter."

Naruto and I give each other bewildered looks, then make our way through the gates behind Kakashi and Yamato.

"Why couldn't our guards be like that?! Kotetsu and Izumo are cute little yipping puppies in comparison to those two!" Naruto mumbles to me.

"Shh! Just keep walking! I want to get as far away from them as possible!" I whisper back to him.

We both shake off the shivers running down our spines and quicken our steps.

Further inside the palace walls, Naruto and I are once again looking around us in wonder and soaking in the beauty of our surroundings. Yet as lovely as everything is, we also come to realize that everything has been done with some kind of purpose.

For one, the castle isn't high up on a hill because it looks pretty or because the view looking down from it is pretty. It's high up so that it can be easily defended and not so easily attacked. The roof, or more accurately _roofs_, aren't so numerous just for aesthetic reasons either. They're to confuse outsiders of how many levels the castle actually has. Even the tranquil garden surrounding the castle is not what it seems. As Japanese gardens go, it consists of two essential elements: water and stone, but the large man-made pond acts as a moat, preventing outsiders from simply marching up to the front door, and the stone arched bridge channels outsiders onto a single pathway, making them easy targets from high up in the castle. Yes, the daimyo is no idiot. He's taken every precaution possible to keep himself safe within his castle walls.

Right as I'm admiring the multitude of golden koi fish swimming beneath the bridge we're standing on, I hear Naruto let out an exasperated "Oh, no. Not more of them!"

Curious, I direct my gaze to where his is.

"Oh, no." I can't help but say myself, for at the castle's front door is once again a pair of fearsome looking guards.

Naruto and I give a simultaneous shiver.

As before, Kakashi states his business, presents his scroll, and then we're finally in.

For a castle, the interior is quite modest with its hardwood floors, tatami floor mats, and sliding door panels. In fact, the wall panels themselves, intricately painted with images of mountains, flowers, and animals, are probably the most extravagant things within the castle.

But again, looks can be deceiving.

As a young maid escorts us into the reception room, we see that it is tiered. For what the castle lacks in fancy furniture and bejeweled knickknacks, it makes up for in quiet imposition. The room is tiered because it's meant to enforce social stature. The highest level, in the form of an alcove called a tokonuma, is meant for the highest ranking person, the daimyo. The second level, chigaindana, is meant for those next in rank, in this case Kakashi and Yamato. The last level, tsukeshoin, is actually a small study attached to the main room and meant for the lowest ranking people which unfortunately means Naruto and me. Taking our respective places, we all sit down and wait for the daimyo to take his place at the head of the room.

We haven't been sitting for more than 2 minutes when a disconcerting screeching reaches our ears.

"Me-YOOOWWW!!!"

"What the-" Naruto shouts as he jumps out of the way of a brown furry blur streaking right in front of him.

"Isn't that-" I begin.

"Tora!" A young female voice finishes for me. "Come here you silly old cat!"

Naruto and I exchange looks.

"No way..." We say in unison.

"It's still alive?" Kakashi asks with a scratch to the back of his neck.

"What are you-" Yamato begins to ask.

"One of our first missions." Kakashi answers with a happy eye crease.

"Oh." Yamato says with a knowing smile.

"Are you guys going to help me?!" The young girl looks at us all beseechingly.

"Oh, right!" We all say and scramble to help her catch the yowling nuisance.

Half an hour later with all of us scratched and clawed on some part of our body, the young girl is holding Tora in her tight embrace.

"There you are!" A large, voluptuous woman exclaims as she barges into the room, tears Tora from the young girl's arms, and embraces the cat against her plump cheek. "Why must you always run off like that, Tora-chan?! You give mummy such a scare, yes you do!" Madam Shijimi gushes as she continues to rub the feline hard against her cheek until the red ribbon tied around its right ear is about to fall off.

"Mother, if you'd stop _smothering_ her the way you always do, then maybe she'd stop trying to get the hell away from you!"

"Nonsense, Hiraku! Tora-chan loves it when I love her to pieces, don't you Tora-chan?"

"Me-YOOOWWW!!!" The cat screeches in angry protest.

Madam Shijimi pointedly ignores the obvious contradiction to her words and takes notice of our presence for the first time. "Who are you?" She asks without tact or decorum.

"We're Konoha ninja, ma'am. We've been hired by your husband to escort your daughter to Wind Country for her wedding." Kakashi explains for the third time today.

"Oh, yes! Wonderful! I'm so glad you're here!" Madam Shijimi's face brightens up again. "I can't tell you how excited we all are to be marrying our little Hiraku off! She's such a petulant little thing you see..."

"Mo-ther!" Hiraku says in angry protest, much the same way Tora was probably saying in cat talk.

"Oh, sweetie, it's tru-ue!" Madam Shijimi says in a sing-song voice.

"You are-ARGH! I'll be so happy to be out of this place!" Hiraku says with a huff, folding her arms angrily across her chest.

Again, Madam Shijimi ignores what she doesn't want to hear and turns her attention back to Kakashi.

"If you were expecting to meet the daimyo himself, I'm so sorry to disappoint you all. He's away on business and I've been put in charge in his place. We actually weren't expecting you until tomorrow either, so we won't have the caravan packed and ready until then. Our maid will show you your rooms for the night when you're ready, otherwise you're free to roam the castle grounds as you please."

"Thank you, Shijimi-san." We all say with a respectful bow of our heads.

She acknowledges us with a smile and begins to turn on her heel when I interrupt her.

"Um, Shijimi-san? Does this mean we each get our own rooms?" I ask, a blush heating my face.

"Why of course, dear! It is a castle after all!" Madam Shijimi says with a laugh.

"Right. Thank you." I say unable to hide the dejection in my voice.

"Why, what's wrong?" She looks at me worriedly.

Everyone else in the room, even Hiraku, is looking at me questioningly now. Except for Kakashi. He's just looking smug.

"Nothing! Nothing at all!" I say with a fake laugh.

Madam Shijimi easily buys it and laughs again.

"Remember, if you need anything, just let the maid know, okay?" She says to me kindly.

"Yes, thank you, Shijimi-san." I reply and give another respectful bow.

Madam Shijimi smiles at me, then leaves the room with poor Tora shrieking in her arms the whole time, but when I turn around, I've got 4 pairs of eyebrows raised up at me.

"Hehe." I laugh, scratching the back of my neck in a very Kakashi-like manner. "So...where is that maid anyway?"

To be continued...


	19. The First Time Kakashi Dares Sakura

Disclaimer: I do not own "Naruto."

Thank you to those of you who reviewed! It means a lot to me!

Subetesa from the KakaSaku site brought up a very valid question which I'm sure a lot of you are thinking, too. "So what's with 'The First' trend?"

Here was my reply:

If you remember in Ch. 10, in Japan the New Year means a celebration of firsts, from the first sunrise to the first time you laugh. It works perfectly for KakaSaku because it is also their first year as a couple, so I'm celebrating everything they do for the first time together.

Hope that clears things up. Anyway, AraelMoonChild then asked me, "Does that mean the sequel will be a year of seconds?" Hehe. We'll see...

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** Chapter 19-The First Time Kakashi Dares Sakura  
**

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Somehow, exploring the world and experiencing new things seems more special when you finally have someone to share it with. 

When Sasuke left and then Naruto, I had to learn to become self-reliant. Being in Shishou's tutelage only reinforced that need. Tsunade, after all, is all about "girl power" and "girl power" entails being able to take care of yourself, knights in shining armor be damned! As a result, I have no qualms about doing things on my own. I live by myself, make my own money, go where I please, do as I please, and buy what I please. It's truly empowering, not needing anybody but myself. And yet for all my independence, I can't help but link my arm through Kakashi's now, lean my head against his shoulder, and feel so grateful for his companionship as we lazily walk through the castle grounds. For you see, there is something more empowering than independence and it's called _love_.

It's not just about the sky looking bluer, the grass looking greener, and the birds' songs sounding sweeter than ever. Finally being with someone you know you're meant to be with makes you forget what loneliness feels like, makes you wonder how you ever coped with it in the first place, and makes you wonder how you ever went through life without the person you're with now. We all need somebody whether they be friends, family, or lovers. It's what makes us human and makes us stronger than what we would be by ourselves.

After putting our packs away in our individual rooms and being fed a hearty lunch, Naruto, Yamato, Kakashi, and I each go our separate ways to explore the castle and its grounds. Well, that is to say that Naruto and Yamato each go one way while Kakashi and I go another way together. In fact, exploring the castle is becoming something of a second date for us.

Castles, especially those high up and isolated from the rest of the world down below, have to be self-sufficient. As a result, the castle is like a town in itself and as towns go, there's plenty to see and do. And what's the first thing to do when you're someplace spectacular and new? Go shopping!

You know you've got a good man in your hands when he's willing to humor you even when doing something as dreadful as shopping. Did you know males' heartrates actually increase when they're forced to go shopping with their female counterparts? Something about anxiety attacks. It's true. It was in a study. Anyway, Kakashi doesn't seem to be having any anxiety attacks. Truth is, he just seems to be enjoying our time spent together.

"You'd look cute in that." Kakashi says as he pauses in front of a store we were just about to pass by and slightly nods his head at its window display.

I direct my gaze at where he's looking and can't help but think: "Geez my boyfriend has good taste!" For hanging off the mannequin in the window is a pale pink, shimmering silk kimono with an intricate brocade pattern of cherry blossoms with a matching dark pink silk sash. It's stunning. And expensive. It's just one of those dresses you look at and think: "Yup, not gonna happen. Pretty though..."

So I can't help but choke when Kakashi says: "You should go in and try it on."

This is where you insert me choking.

"Kakashi, you gotta be kidding me! I couldn't even walk in that store without them giving me the 'Pretty Woman' treatment!"

"Pretty Woman Treatment? What's that?"

"Haven't you ever seen the movie 'Pretty Woman' with Julia Roberts?"

"Can't say I have."

"We'll she's this prostitute - Don't give me that look Kakashi! It's a Disney movie! - Anyway, so the man who, um, hires her gives her his credit card to buy anything she wants in Beverly Hills, only the store keepers take one look at her, snub her, and she ends up running home in tears. That'll be me Kakashi! I so much as open that door and show my face and I'll be snubbed!"

"Sakura, you've faced Akatsuki and Orochimaru himself and you're afraid of a snooty storekeeper?!"

"Yeah, well, homicidal maniacs are easier to deal with than high-class snobs. A blow to my body I can easily heal with my chakra. A blow to my dignity, not so much."

For some reason, Kakashi's eye sparkles down at me before he lowers his lips close to my ear and whispers:

"Pretend that they're Naruto and do to them whatever you'd do to him if they get out of line."

I wrap my hand around the back of his neck to pull him closer (God, he smells good!) and whisper back:

"I do that and I'll be sued for physical assault."

We slowly part, our lips and breaths inches from each other with his eye still sparkling down at me.

"Try the dress on, Sakura, and I'll buy it for you."

Again insert me choking.

"Now I know you're not serious! You won't even pick up your half of the bill when we go out to eat!"

"True, but I don't like seeing you act weak, Sakura, because I know that you're not. You don't get intimidated and you never back down. That's why I chose you and that's why I'll buy you that dress."

Then, Kakashi brings his face closer to mine until the distance between our lips is no longer inches, but mere centimeters.

"So..." he asks huskily, "What are you waiting for?"

For a second I'm breathless, completely dumbfounded as I stare at his masked lips so close to mine, but then I feel the anger rising up inside of me.

"Nothing! Just watch me!" I say with my eyes narrowed, then swiftly turn my back on him to tug the store's door open and storm inside.

Behind me, I vaguely hear Kakashi say: "That's my girl!"

Half an hour later, I've got a ridiculously expensive kimono that I'll probably never have an occasion to wear in a shopping bag hanging from my arm because like I said, even though independence empowers you, love empowers you even more.

To be continued...


	20. The First Time Sakura Sees Something

Disclaimer: I do not own "Naruto."

Thank you for all the reviews! They really motivate me to keep writing, so thank you!

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**Chapter 20-The First Time Sakura Sees Something  
**

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A tug and a laugh. A push and a kiss. Then runaway and start all over again. This is the game we play headed back towards the castle. Can't really tell who started it or what started it. I'm just glad we're playing it. 

"C'mon, Sakura. Just _why_ did you want to know?" He asks with a mischievous grin.

I feel my face heat up.

"No reason." I say, neither stopping or looking back at him.

He grabs my wrist, twirls me around, and traps me between his tall, lean form and the tree pressed hard against my back.

"I don't believe you." He says, then ducks his head down to steal a chaste, sweet kiss on my lips.

"That's your problem, not mine." I say as we slowly part, then quickly duck underneath his arm to run off again.

From the corner of my eye, I catch him shake his head and smile beneath his mask before chasing after me.

If I really wanted to, I could easily deflect him with clones or a chakra-infused punch to the ground, but though his questions are making me uncomfortable, his kisses are not. I'm happy playing cat and mouse with him. After all, playing "hard to get" can be extremely fun.

I've barely taken three steps forward when he grabs my wrist and cages me between his arms, body, and a tree yet again.

"Just tell me." He says, his face so close to mine that I can feel the warmth of his breath even through his mask.

"Kakashi, it was embarrassing enough the first time around. Please let it go." I say, forcing my gaze away from his lips to look up pleadingly into his lone eye instead. Puppy dog eyes don't seem to be working for some reason. Maybe he's grown immune because of Pakkun. Damn.

"And what makes you think I'll do that?" He asks, resting his left forearm on the tree behind me, slowly bringing his body even closer towards mine. His other hand comes up to brush a strand of hair away from my face to gently tuck it behind my ear.

"Because you're a gentleman?" I suggest, raising myself up on tiptoe to lightly peck him on the cheek. I wait for it to register and his eye to happily crease before slipping out from the side he doesn't have blocked with his arm.

"Sakura..." I hear him say somewhere in the distance behind me.

I laugh over my shoulder and continue to runaway from him, but just as quickly, I'm forced to a complete stop with Kakashi coming to a stop right beside me.

"Wow..." I whisper in awe as I take in the sight before me. "Is that our entourage?"

"Must be." Kakashi muses.

Through the foliage of the trees we see a handful of horses being groomed and readied outside the castle stables, not including the 20 or so other regal looking stallions patiently awaiting their turn in their individual stalls. There's even more commotion going on around the dozen or so newly polished coaches which are being packed ridiculously high with trunks and bags of luggage by the castle servants.

I take a step forward to take a closer look, but Kakashi grabs me, pushes me up against a tree, and traps me for - Geez, I've actually lost count on how many times now.

"You're not getting off that easy. Just answer the question, Sakura..._Why_ exactly did you want to know if we were going to get our own rooms tonight?"

If my face wasn't hot before, it's absolutely burning now.

"Well, you see...Oh, look! One of the horses has a baby!" I say, pointing somewhere off into the distance before ducking beneath his arm again.

"Sakura..." Kakashi says, quickly wrapping one of his arms around my waist and pushing me up against the tree once more.

"What's the matter? Don't you want to see the baby horse?" I ask, looking innocently up at him. "It's got a velvet nose and everything!"

He laughs at me.

"You're cute, Sakura, but answer the question."

"You're not going to let this go are you?" I say, narrowing my eyes at him.

"Nope." And with that, he presses his body harder against mine to ensure no more further escapes from me.

My body is burning hot, betraying me in every way possible, but evidently not as much as his. I pointedly try to ignore his, um, _happiness_ to see me.

"Well, why do _you_ think I asked?" I try to say as calmly as possible.

There. Reverse psychology. That'll get him.

"I think...it's because...you want me." Kakashi says with each gentle kiss he plants along the side of my neck.

As if it has a mind of its own, one of my hands curls around the back of his neck to pull him closer and my head tilts back against the tree as I shut my eyes taking pleasure in his soft kisses. Yet in the back of my mind I can't help but think:

_Why does it seem like reverse psychology is backfiring?_

Our breaths are getting heavier, our heart rates are getting quicker, and all the while his hands are sliding slowly up and down my sides.

His mask is getting in the way, so he quickly tugs it down beneath his chin. When he kisses my neck again, it's without barrier. His kisses now feel wet and hot against my skin.

His hands slowly come up to the nape of my neck, pulling me towards him the same way I had been pulling him towards me earlier. He tilts my head up and presses his lips lightly, then eventually harder against mine. At first it's just about the contact, feeling the warmth and softness of his lips against my own. Then, it's about the _action_ of the kissing itself, the tugging and sucking and nipping of lips. Then, it's just about being plain greedy. He parts my lips with his and I allow his tongue quick entry. Flicking his tongue against mine, he asks me to do the same, and I do. His tongue glides against mine, and again, I do the same for him. I feel my lungs burn from lack of oxygen and my head feels hazy, but neither of us really wants to stop. Then...

"Hey, you there! Yeah, you two! What do you think you're doing back there?!" One of the castle guards bellows at us causing all the horses' ears to prick up and all of the servants' heads to turn our way.

Kakashi quickly tugs his mask back up and promptly pulls away from me at the same instant I pull away from him.

"Ahaha." Kakashi says while scratching the back of his neck in embarrassment. "Well, funny you should ask because, see, there was this big root sticking out of the ground and my partner here accidentally tripped on it and I accidentally tripped on it after her and while we were falling our lips just sort of-"

"We're just assessing the convoy we'll be looking after tomorrow and making sure that everything is secure. Since everything looks in order here, we'll be on our way." I quickly explain to the guard.

"Yeah. What she said." Kakashi says.

I grind my teeth and try not to kill Kakashi right then and there.

The guard slowly looks between me and Kakashi, passes a scrutinizing gaze over our hitai-ates and weapon bags, then thankfully nods his head and waves us away.

"Fine. You're free to go."

Kakashi and I smile in gratitude then make a quick exit.

Once we're far enough away so that no one can see us, I slap Kakashi upside the head.

"Ow! What was that for?!" He asks, rubbing the back of his head.

"Kakashi, I swear! You have the lamest excuses in the world!"

"What? It happens!"

"People tripping and accidentally kissing each other?" I ask incredulously.

"Well, yeah. At least in 'Icha, Icha' it does. Actually, a lot more than that tends to happen accidentally..."

I'm still looking at Kakashi in bewilderment at what he's saying when a pair of figures ducking away behind the trees ahead of us distracts me. I recognize one of the figures immediately, but the other one not so much.

"Sakura, what's wrong?" Kakashi asks, following my gaze out into the distance.

"Nothing." I say hastily with a quick shake of my head.

"Now who's the one with the lame excuses?" Kakashi asks with a hint of a smile in his voice.

But I keep my lips sealed, link my arm through his, and smile up at him.

"Ask me again, Kakashi." I say softly.

"What? Who's the one with the lame-"

"Not that question, Kakashi! The other one!"

His eye meets mine and he asks me again, but seriously rather than playfully this time.

"Why did you want to know if we were having separate rooms tonight, Sakura?"

"Because, Kakashi, I've gotten used to sleeping with you beside me these past few days. I like falling asleep in your arms. I like feeling you against me and wrapped around me while I sleep. It makes me feel safe. I asked because I don't want to sleep without you tonight, Kakashi, or any other night for that matter."

"Cuddling's not the same as 'sleeping together,' Sakura. If you come to me tonight-" Kakashi says in a warning tone.

"I know." I say quietly.

Kakashi raises his eyebrow up at me, but says nothing more as we continue to make our way back up to the castle for the evening.

Everything I said is true and I don't regret a single word, but the fact of the matter is, I think I just saw something that I wasn't supposed to and one way to avoid an uncomfortable question is to present another that you're more willing to answer. I "get" Kakashi and me. I even know what I've just talked myself into, but what I saw just now, up ahead in the trees, I absolutely, completely do _not _understand. And until I do, I think it's better for everyone if I'm the only one who knows about it. For now at least.

To be continued...


	21. The 1st Time Sakura Comes To A Decision

Disclaimer: I do not own "Naruto."

Thank you for all the reviews! I love hearing from you!

I'll still try to update quickly, but just to let you know, this new year is turning out to be full of curveballs for me. First I was dealing with stuff with my family and now I have to find a new place to live. My rent went up. Way up. So between finding a new place and moving, my updates may become less frequent. But like I said, I'll try my best to update regularly not only to keep you happy, but me happy as well. Stupid curveballs.

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**Chapter 21-The First Time Sakura Comes To A Decision  
**

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There is a big difference between finding your nerve and keeping it. Your sanity. 

Whereas finding your nerve takes time and patience and a bit of coaxing, keeping it once you finally find it is like...Is like...

"Me-YOOOWWW!!!"

Tora. Yes, keeping your nerve once you've finally found it is like keeping a scratching, yowling, will-gladly-risk-one-of-her-nine-lives-just-don't-take-her-back! furball of a menace in the arms of its rightful owner. And _that_ drives you insane.

I glance over at Naruto and he's sharing a story about one of our missions with Madam Shijimi who is laughing uncontrollably at the head of the dinner table. She's taken quite a liking to him.

Friends with the daimyo's wife. Not a bad connection to have when you're aiming to be Hokage, but I know Naruto's friendship has nothing to do with political gain. His friendship is genuine - that's the only way he knows how to make them. That's why I'm positive he _will_ be our Hokage one day - because he's loyal and true and trustworthy. If only more of our country's leaders were like that.

Yamato sits next to Naruto laughing and adding a few extra details to the story every now and then. Of all of us, he's probably the most normal, getting kidnapped and turned into a lab rat by Orochimaru aside.

At the foot of the table, Hiraku sits quietly looking windswept and miserable, but I'm the only one who really seems to notice or to care.

Mental note: Speak to Hiraku and preferably _before_ the wedding.

I try to catch her gaze, but she doesn't notice or is purposely ignoring me. Whichever one it is, I can't really tell or dwell upon it because sitting across the table from me is the cause of my own anxieties.

Kakashi.

If it weren't for the lack of his usual slouch, any other normal person would have thought he was the same old Kakashi. But I know him too well. The improvement in his posture isn't out of courtesy for our present company. He's tense. It's the same way he gets when we're out on missions. One minute he'll be droopy-eyed, hands stuffed in his pants' pockets, the next minute, at the mere crack of a twig, he'll be "Copy Nin, Sharingan Kakashi" weapons in hand and ready to kick some bad guy ass. And that's how he's acting now - like he's on full alert.

I wonder, is he having second thoughts? Is he worried that _I'm_ having second thoughts?

_Am I_ having second thoughts? This does feel a bit rushed after all. We've only just started dating and now we're already ready to sleep together? And it's not just the cuddling and spooning kind of "sleeping together." Like he said, if I come to him tonight we'll be having-

"Dessert, miss?" One of the castle servants asks, pulling me straight out of my reverie.

"What? Oh, yes, thank you!"

Looking down at the plate just put before me, I see three pieces of manju. One is green and I immediately recognize it as matcha, or green tea. The other two, however, have the same buckwheat colored bun and I can only guess what's inside of them. Surely at least one is filled with anko, a red bean paste, but the other one...Well, here's to finding out. Lifting one to my lips, I take a tentative bite.

Ooo, well that's different - Orange!

As I smile at that citrusy surprise, I catch another. Kakashi's gaze. He's fixated on my mouth, staring at it with that same dreamy, far-off look he had when I sucked the powered sugar of my mochi off my fingers at the festival.

He's turned on. He's turned on even when I wasn't trying to turn him on. How 'bout that? Well, if he _was_ having second thoughts, he sure doesn't seem to be having them now!

On a whim, I take another bite of my manju, this time looking him straight in the eye as I chew it as slowly and sensually as possible, going so far as to lick my lips after I swallow.

I see him gulp beneath his mask and his eye quickly dart up to mine.

I smirk at him.

He smirks back at me.

I suck my fingers clean.

He goes breathless.

"Ahem!" Hiraku gives a fake cough and quirks an eyebrow up at us.

Kakashi and I immediately stop flirting with each other and duck our heads in shame.

I stuff another manju in my mouth, but this time I do it so quickly and bite off such a large piece that my cheeks look like a chipmunk's cheeks full of nuts. It's SO the opposite of sensual!

Kakashi gives me a weird look. Hiraku gives me a weird look. Even Naruto, Yamato, and Madam Shijimi now give me a weird look.

I try to smile with my face still stuffed with manju and end up spitting out bits and pieces of bread out instead.

Kakashi gives me a weirder look. Hiraku gives me a weirder look. Naruto, Yamato, and Madam Shijimi give me a weirder look.

_Goddammit!_

"Uh, right, well, thank you for the wonderful meal, Shijimi-san, but if you don't mind I should really-"

"Oh, yes, of course, Kakashi-san, please! Big day tomorrow after all. Have a good night's sleep!" Madam Shijimi says brightly as she waves Kakashi off.

"Thank you, goodnight to you, too. All of you." Kakashi says, bowing to Madam Shijimi and Hiraku, then giving the rest of us acknowledging nods, but when it comes to me, his eye lingers a little bit longer than it should. There's no denying what that look means. _Hope to see you soon._

I feel a sweat coming on.

I watch him walk out the door, go down the hall, climb up the stairs, and turn left at the top of the landing until he's completely out of my view. First door to the left. Got it.

When I turn back around, I'm glad to see that Naruto and Yamato haven't caught me staring and have continued telling their story to Madam Shijimi. Hiraku, however, is giving me another weird look.

"What?" I ask.

"You two are so obvious." She mumbles at me.

I feel my face heat up again in embarrassment.

"Yeah, well, so are you and your mystery guy." I mumble back.

Hiraku's eyes widen and her face flushes just like mine.

"I don't know what you're talking about!" She retorts in a low voice.

"I saw you, Hiraku! In the gardens! Who is he?!" I ask while trying to keep my voice down as well.

"He-, I-" She gives me a panicked look, then..."I think I should be going to bed as well, Mother. I am the bride-to-be after all." Hiraku says cheerfully and a little bit too loud to Madam Shijimi.

"Oh, of course, sweetheart! What was I thinking?! Goodnight, Hiraku-chan!"

"Night, Mother. Naruto. Yamato. _Sakura._" Hiraku glares at me, saying my name through gritted teeth.

I glare back at her.

"You know, I should be going as well, Shijimi-san. I'm feeling a little worn out myself."

"Why, yes, Sakura-san! I completely understand! Have a good night!"

"Thank you. Goodnight to you, too." I say with a bow.

"Goodnight, Sakura-chan!" Naruto and Yamato smile at me.

"Night guys." I smile back at them.

I'm ready to walk with Hiraku and have a little heart to heart with her when I see her slip through a passage apparently meant only for her because as she smirks back at me, two castle guards slide the door close behind her and continue to stand watch. There'll be no following her or talking to her tonight.

_Damn that girl!_

Gritting my teeth, I quickly leave the dining room and blindly make my way down the hall and up the stairs. It's only when I've found myself at the top of the landing and have to decide whether to go left or right that I remember. Kakashi. He's waiting for me.

Okay, for most people this is a no-brainer: _Go left, you silly girl! He wants you, you want him, just do it already!_

But like I said, keeping your nerve can be a bitch. Or a cat. A cat named Tora who is coincidentally looking straight back at me with fear in her eyes. I can tell just by looking at her that she's trying to decide whether to sprint back the way she came from or sprint past me and go down the stairs where she intended to go in the first place before I spooked her.

I hold my breath and don't move an inch. Keeping my eyes on her, I try to tell her that unlike Madam Shijimi, I'm not going to grab her and suffocate her with my embrace. I'm going to stay right where I am and let her go, whichever way she decides to go, and won't follow her.

Keeping her eyes on me, Tora raises one front paw up and slowly takes one step forward.

I don't move, don't blink, don't breathe.

She takes another step forward.

I still don't budge.

Tora takes another step forward then bolts past my legs and disappears downstairs.

After she's gone, I release the breath I was holding and let out a sigh of relief.

A minute later, I'm standing in an empty room, looking at an empty bedroll in the moonlight.

I mean, after all, _what had I been thinking?!_

I'm so glad I made the right decision.

Behind me, a strong arm wraps around my chest and a warm breath whispers softly in my ear:

"I was afraid you weren't going to come."

"Sorry, Kakashi. I didn't mean to be late. See, I was on my way to your room when a cat-"

"Sakura...you know we've been around each other for far too long when your excuses start to sound like mine." Kakashi says as he pulls my hair aside to rain kisses on the side of my neck.

I tilt my head to give him easier access, shut my eyes, and respond with a simple:

"Mmm..."

Because you see, keeping your nerve is like a scratching, yowling, furball of a menace. We all have a scaredy cat inside of us. But if you hold still enough, the fear eventually subsides on its own and we can get back to where we need to be, whether it be scampering downstairs like we first intended, like Tora, or into the arms of the one we've been waiting to be with for _the longest time_, like I am now with Kakashi.

Sometimes, keeping your nerve simply means finding it again. Do that, and you won't feel insane anymore. Do that, and you'll be right where you're supposed to be.

To be continued...


	22. The 1st Time Kakashi & Sakura Make Love

Disclaimer: I do not own "Naruto."

Thank you as always for all the reviews, faves, and alerts! Glad to know you're enjoying this story so far!

WARNING: The rating for this story has just gone up from T to M because of **LEMON**. Sorry to say goodbye to some of you. I know that it's just not your thing, but if it's of any consolation, not all the chapters from here on out will be lemons, only a select few which I'll give clear warnings to ahead of time. So if you still want to continue with this story, it's possible, just make sure to check my Author's Notes. Otherwise, thanks for having stayed with this story for as long as you have! Meanwhile, I know the rest of you have been waiting for this for a long time now, so enjoy!

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**Chapter 22-The First Time Kakashi and Sakura Make Love**

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Tilting my head back and letting it rest against Kakashi's chest as he gently kisses the tender flesh of the side of my neck, I can't help but wonder: Is it possible to be moving too fast and yet have been waiting for this to happen for so long? Isn't that what you'd call a paradox?

For ten years I've known this man. One year as my teacher. Seven years as my teammate...Six as equals. And through the duration of these years, we've grown from teacher and student to friends and teammates willing to give their lives up for each other in the blink of an eye.

Five nights ago he kissed me. Five days ago I kissed him back. Three nights we've slept together. Tonight we sleep together for real.

It's a hurry and a long time coming all at the same time.

Kakashi lightly trails his lips up the side of my neck until they barely brush the outer shell of my ear.

"Are you sure you want to do this, Sakura?" he murmurs softly in it, "I won't hold you to any promises you think you may have made. If you want to turn back now, I won't hold it against you."

I open up my eyes, looking into the moonlit room.

He's always been protective of me. Always caring. Always comforting. Never wanting to see me get hurt, even now when I've walked into his room and offered myself up to him out of my own free will, he is still trying to protect me...even from himself.

"I want this, Kakashi. Otherwise, I wouldn't have come to you tonight. And I don't want to turn back. We've waited for this for so long."

"But it's only been a week-"

"No, Kakashi. It hasn't only been a week. We've been through so much together. The only thing that's only been a week is us officially owning up to how we really feel about each other. This isn't just sex, Kakashi. If it was, I wouldn't be here. _I love you._ I always have. But before I wouldn't let myself believe that I loved you as anything more than someone I looked up to and respected and had grown close to through the years, but I do truly love you...in _that_ way. And I believe that you love me, too, in that same way."

"I do." Kakashi quietly admits.

Turning around in his embrace, I raise my eyes up to his.

"Then show me."

The look in his eye is soft when he places a warm hand on my cheek and caresses it gently with his thumb.

"I love you so much, Sakura, but don't feel like we have to _make love_ to prove it."

"I'm not doing it to prove anything, Kakashi. I'm doing it because would you believe it? I actually want you." I say smiling up at him.

"You want me?" He asks teasingly, returning my smile with his own.

"How could I not? God, look at you, Kakashi! All buff and lean and - how did you put it? Ah, that's right...smexy." I smirk at him.

"Damn right I am." He smirks back at me before lifting my face up in his hands and softly pressing his lips to mine.

I let him take the lead for a bit, letting him hold my head still while he kisses me at varying angles, slowly tilting his head one way and then the other. I run my hands up his chest and neck until my hands cup the sides of his face as well. Now it is the two of us together, tilting our heads from one side to the other as we capture each others lips with our own, continuing the same lazy pace he began.

I can feel the need building up inside of me, as I'm sure it is building up inside of him, and I pull him down closer towards me, urging him to kiss me harder. He responds by grasping the back of my neck and kissing me back as hungrily and desperately as I'm kissing him. Opening up my mouth, I get him to open his, our tongues meeting halfway. As they slowly glide against each other, it is clear that unlike New Year's where the kiss was one-sided, this time around the desire is mutual.

His hands move down from my face to slowly pull down the zipper of my shirt. My hands mimic his, slowly moving down his body to pull down the zipper of his Jounin flak vest. Never letting our lips part, we both shrug off the articles of clothing.

My hands find their way up his shirt, feeling the hardness of his chest through the thin fabric of his tighter undershirt. His hands cup my breasts, feeling their own firmness through the fabric of my bra. We break our kiss long enough to gaze into each other's eyes and catch our breaths before he ducks his head into the crook of my neck again and sucks it hard enough to leave a mark. I simply close my eyes, tilt my head back, and rake my fingers through his soft hair, pressing him harder against me.

His hands wander towards my back, slowly unclasping the small hooks of my bra. I tug at the bottom hem of both his shirts, silently begging him to pull them off. After the last hook of my bra comes undone and the binding loosens around me, Kakashi helps me pull it off my shoulders and down my arms, letting it fall forgotten on the floor. I help him lift his long-sleeve Jounin shirt up over his head followed by his sleeveless undershirt with attached mask. Then we are standing half-naked before each other, bathed in moonlight. As my eyes and fingers run across his now exposed chest and stomach, admiring scarred skin over hardened muscle, his own fingers gently squeeze my newly exposed breasts, admiring their roundness, firmness, and size against the palms of his hands. It is one thing to see each other in various states of undress because of injuries or training or bathing while camping out, but it is another thing altogether when we're preparing to cross that final line between friends and lovers.

The hands that were gently massaging my breasts move back up to cup my face. I look up into Kakashi's eye and we exchange smiles before he lowers his head down to kiss me again as lovingly as possible. It's hard to connect this man treating me with so much care and tenderness to the man he's identified as and is famous for: a highly skilled ninja elite who can kill ruthlessly and mercilessly as the situation sees fit. But I am not in love with that man everyone both idolizes and fears. It is this one, the one flawed and vulnerable like everyone else, the one reserving the lightest of touches for me and treating me like I'm worth more than all the riches in the world that I'm in love with. I think that's why I fell in love with him in the first place. Because while one man broke my heart and left me behind, this one stayed with me and made my heart whole again. I love Kakashi for that. I will _always_ love Kakashi for that.

Kissing him back harder than ever before, Kakashi breaks our kiss and looks questioningly down into my eyes.

"Sakura, what's come over you?" he asks, his eye searching my face.

God, if he only knew...

"Nothing, Kakashi." I say shaking my head. "Please just make love to me."

He still looks confused, hesitating for a few seconds more, but in the end he says nothing and brings his mouth back down to mine.

For a moment, I'm lost again in his kiss, my hand straying down his broad chest and muscular stomach until it comes to a rest against the bulge straining against the fabric of his pants.

"Make love to me." I repeat against his lips as I gently rub him.

He moans against my mouth and lifts me up into his arms bridal style, carrying me over to his bedroll. Laying me down softly on my back, he lays himself down on top of me, bracing most of his weight on his elbows and forearms to keep from crushing me, his hips coming to a gentle rest cradled between my legs.

Squeezing one of my breasts in his hands to make the nipple pucker out even more, he lowers his head down and runs small circles around it with the tip of his tongue. Then, he rapidly flicks his tongue against it before wrapping his mouth completely around the rosy bud and gently sucking it, eliciting a deep pleasured moan from me. I slowly run my hands up and down his back urging him on.

Bringing his hand down between our pressed bodies, he cups me between the legs and starts rubbing and squeezing me there. The tingling I felt there before has now turned into a burning ache and I can feel my panties start to dampen. When he starts tugging at my skirt, shorts, and panties, trying to pull them down all at the same time, I don't hesitate to help him remove them completely off my legs. When he brings his hand back down between us, his rough fingers slide easily up and down my wet, silken folds.

Scooting down on the bedroll and positioning himself between my legs, Kakashi spreads them wider apart, sprinkling kisses along my inner thigh. Moving upwards until he's almost at the pink curls of my mound, he moves inches above it. He's so close that I can feel the warmth of his breath against it, but instead of kissing me there like I expect him to, he starts kissing the inside of my other thigh instead. His teasing leaves me panting hard, heart racing, and my entire body squirming beneath him.

"Kakashi..." I say with ragged breath.

"Yes?..." He drawls, looking up between my legs.

"God, Kakashi, please don't make me beg!"

"I won't make you beg, Sakura, but I will make you quiver." And with that he licks my slit from bottom to top before wrapping his warm, wet mouth around my clit, gently sucking it and lavishing his tongue against it.

He's right, I'm quivering. From my uncontrollably shaking legs to my thrashing head and arms, I'm quivering like a leaf and there's nothing I can do about it because what he's doing feels so good and so_ intense._ And as if it wasn't intense enough, he dips two fingers inside of me and starts slowly pumping them in and out of my passage. I have to grab a pillow and press it against my mouth to keep the entire castle from knowing what Kakashi and I are doing right now.

Increasing the pace of his pumping and flicks of his tongue against my clit, I can't help but succumb to the overwhelming sense of pleasure racking my body, making my toes curl, my back arch high off the bedroll, and my inner muscles clench tightly around his invading fingers.

When I literally come back down to earth, falling back onto the bedroll, I see Kakashi looking down at me in a way I've never seen him look at me before. It's a mixture of deep love and lust all rolled into one.

Undoing the button of his pants and carefully lowering down his fly, Kakashi pulls down his pants along with his boxers, completely removing them and tossing them aside, but not before pulling something out of his pants' back pocket.

In the moonlight, I see his erection twitching against his stomach. I watch in anticipation as he rips the foil off the condom, pinches the tip of the rubber so that it won't break, then rolls the rest of it down his length. Holding himself in his hand, he positions himself back between my legs, aligns his tip to my entrance, and slowly guides himself in.

At first, it's okay. His fingers had stretched and made me wet enough to let the first few inches of him slide into me easily enough, but the minute he hits that thin barrier deep inside of me and starts pushing against it, I can't help but yelp out in pain.

He slowly inches himself back out until he's back to where I'm comfortable with his penetration.

"Sakura, I didn't know - I mean, I thought maybe you still were, but I wasn't sure."

"It's okay, Kakashi. Really. Just keep going."

"We'll go slow. Take all the time you need, okay?"

I shake my head in agreement.

Squeezing my eyes tightly shut, waiting for the pain to return as he slowly lowers himself back down upon me, my eyes fly back open when I find him slowly pumping himself shallowly inside of me instead. He's not completely in, but for now it's enough. I'm both relieved and grateful. Rather than breaking into me all at once like most overeager lovers interested only in achieving their own pleasure, Kakashi's literally going to "take it slow" with me, taking the time to gradually deepen his penetration until I'm ready for him to make that final break.

Raising myself up at the same time he lowers himself back down, I kiss his lips in thanks. His hips involuntarily buck, penetrating me a little bit deeper than before. The pain only lasts for a few seconds before he's slightly pulling himself back out again.

"Sorry."

"It's okay, Kakashi." I smile understandingly up at him and he smiles back down at me, the concern leaving his face.

Soon, I notice the pain less and less and I give Kakashi a nod to just go ahead and do it. With one swift thrust, he's completely inside of me up to the hilt. The pain is still unbearable and I force him to stay still inside of me for a couple of more minutes so that I can adjust to him, but it's done. Kakashi has taken away the last of my innocence and I can't think of a better person to have lost my virginity to.

"You still okay?" Kakashi asks, gently brushing my hair away from my face.

"I will be." I smile weakly back up at him.

He lowers his head down and kisses me softly on the lips. I kiss him back and soon our tongues are gliding against each other again. I'm vaguely aware of his hips slowly rising and falling against mine and the bit of pain it's still causing me, but I shut my eyes and try to distract myself by urging him to kiss me harder. Only by making him kiss me harder, he's also starting to thrust into me harder and deeper as well. All I can do is hold tightly onto his back and endure it.

But eventually, it slowly starts to feel good. As the pain ebbs away, I find myself raising my hips up to meet his thrust for thrust. I feel Kakashi smile against my lips and_ finally _we are making love together.

Rolling our hips against each other, we simply enjoy each other's bodies joined intimately together. I'm tight for him, I'm sure, and I can tell with each pleasured groan escaping Kakashi's lips that he's enjoying the softness, wetness, and burning heat of my body squeezing him so hard. For me, his hardness, thickness, and length feel like it's finally filling a void that's been waiting to be filled for the longest time.

As our pace quickens, it is no longer the gentle rolling of hips, but bodies slapping desperately against each other, eager for release. He feels so good inside of me, but I know that if I can just get him to hit that particularly sensitive spot buried deep inside of me, then he will make me feel so much, _much_ better. Raising my legs up and wrapping them high up on his torso, Kakashi naturally sinks deeper into me. Now with each ram of his hips, he's repeatedly hitting that spot I want so much touched. My inner muscles start to undulate around his member and taking a last, few rapid breaths, I then hold my breath as my body goes rigid, my inner muscles clamping down hard around his member, contracting tightly around it over and over again. Again my toes curl and my back arches high off the bedroll as I reach my climax. When I come back down from my high, Kakashi thankfully gives me a couple of minutes to catch my breath and calm my racing heart before moving against me and into me once more.

Grunting close to my ear, Kakashi buries himself deep inside of me with more force each time. He's pushing so hard into me, it's taking all of my efforts to keep him from pushing me up and off the bedroll altogether. Then, with one final hard shove, Kakashi groans his own climax and release into my ear.

Exhausted, Kakashi collapses on top of me. Not minding his now full-on weight on top of me, I embrace him tightly against me, enjoying his body pressed hard against mine, his racing heart beating rapidly against my own. I can still feel him twitching inside of me and my inner muscles throbbing heatedly around him when he gently rolls both of us over so that he's on his back and I'm the one laying on top. Both feeling sated and content and not really wanting to lose the connection that took us forever to make, in the end we fall asleep still joined together, his gently beating heart beneath my ear lulling me to sleep.

It's a hurry and a long time coming all at the same time, but for now time simply stands still for us - two forever friends now turned forever lovers.

To be continued..._****__****__****__**  
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	23. The First Morning After

Disclaimer: I do not own "Naruto."

Thank you for all the reviews, faves, and alerts!

This chapter is dedicated to **darkonex852** at the KakaSaku site because it's scary how she knew _exactly_ what I already had planned out for this chapter (the first part anyway) and even recommended "The Results of the Honeymoon" by Durgas Dragon here on FanFic to help inspire me. Feel free to check it out, but be warned it's yaoi (KakaIru) just in case you're not into that sort of thing. Seriously, when you guys make guesses as to what I have planned out and get it dead on, I get really freaked out sometimes! But I guess that's a good thing because that just means you're really in tune with this story.

Anyway, I'm warning this chapter as a **LIME **because there's nothing too explicit in it, but it's getting there.**  
**

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**Chapter 23-The First Morning After  
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If there's one thing I've learned growing up with Naruto, it's that he's LOUD.

"Oh my God! My eyes! My eyes! _What the fuck?!"_

Looking up blearily at the door where he's standing, I can see Naruto with one hand covering his eyes and his other hand shaking manically in front of him as if such a movement will make whatever he's avoiding looking at disappear.

"What is _wrong_ with you?" I say irately, letting my eyes drift back close, snuggling the side of my face deeper into my pillow.

"What's wrong with _me?! _What's wrong with _you?! _He's our sensei for God's sake!"

My eyes immediately shoot wide open.

Now fully aware of my surroundings I notice that A) I'm completely naked, B) The only thing that's preventing me from completely flashing Naruto with my breasts is somebody's arm wrapped tightly around my chest as he spoons me, and C) The owner of that arm is also completely naked and is none other than, yup, our sensei.

_SHIT!_

"Shit! Get out _now_, Naruto!"

"But I'm supposed to tell you that you're late for our escort mission! Well, actually, I was supposed to tell Kakashi-sensei that, but seeing how you're here I might as well tell you that as well. I mean, I guess at least now I know _why _he's late, but to be honest I'd rather gouge my own eyes out with a spoon than to have found out that you and him are doing i-"

"OUT NOW!"

"Alright already! I'm going!"

Once he's out the door, sliding it close behind him, I bury my face in my hands and wonder how I'm going to live this one down.

"Could've been worse." Kakashi chuckles behind me.

"And how's that?" I ask wearily.

"He could've seen my face."

"What makes you think he didn't and how in the world is that supposed to make me feel better?!"

"Well, I know he didn't because I had my lips pressed against your shoulder the entire time. Besides, I think he was more distracted in now knowing that pink is your natural color after all."

"Oh, God." I groan, pulling (belatedly) the blanket up from down by our feet and pulling it up over my head, wishing that I'd just die.

"And as to how his not seeing my face is supposed to make you feel better, well now you still get to be the only one to have seen my face and you get to rub that fact in his."

I groan again, but then a thought occurs to me.

"Sakura...why are you laughing?"

I pull the covers down from my face.

"Because, Kakashi, you just made me remember that I'm now a very, very rich woman and _that _makes me feel better!" I say smiling ear to ear.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, Naruto and I have had a bet going for the longest time as to who would see your face first and what exactly your face looks like. Naruto betted that not only would he see your face first, but that you have buckteeth and fishlips. But now that I'm the one who's seen your face first and _know_ that you don't have any of those things, like I said, I'm now a very, very rich woman!"

"Geez, how much did you guys bet?!"

"Well, it wasn't much at first, but as the years passed those bets sort of grew in interest."

"How so?"

"Well, let's just say that Naruto owes me the exact pay for his C and D rank missions for the past 10 years!"

"Holy crap!"

"I know!"

"You're rich!"

"I KNOW!" I say elatedly.

"See, I told you his not seeing my face was a good thing!"

"Sure was!"

"Sakura?"

"Hm?"

"What exactly did you bet my face looked like?"

I turn around in his embrace so that I'm face to face with the very face that's eluded Naruto and I for years.

"I betted that you wore your mask because you didn't want other people to be distracted by how good you looked and wanted them to like you for who you really are in the inside rather than how you look on the outside. And you better be grateful, mister, because I fell for you long before you first kissed me on New Year's and knew what you looked like beneath that mask! For all I knew, you could've looked like a dufus just like Naruto said!"

Kakashi smiles at me.

"Sakura?"

"Hm?"

"I'm happy to see you again."

I slap the palm of my hand to my forehead.

"Well, there's not much we can do about that right now, Kakashi! You heard Naruto - we're already late!"

"I'm _really_ happy to see you." Kakashi smirks at me, grabbing my hips and pressing said "happiness" against me.

Geez, he really _is_ happy to see me!

"Well if we're going to be late anyway..."

"Yup, that's my motto!" Kakashi smiles down at me.

I can only smile back up at him as he rolls both of us over and brings his mouth back down onto mine.

To be continued...

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Next chapter...Lemon, no lemon? Lemon, no lemon? You decide. Let me know 'cuz I can do it either way. The quicker you let me know, the quicker I write. The quicker I write, the quicker I post. Thanks for your input!


	24. The 1st Time Sakura Has A 2nd Time

Disclaimer: I do not own "Naruto."

Thank you as always for all the reviews, faves, and alerts! Special thanks to everyone who left their opinion on whether or not I should do a lemon for this chapter.

It was a difficult decision to make because although the majority of you voted for a lemon (some very, very enthusiastically I might add!) the non-lemon people stated their reasons for not wanting another lemon quite well as well, so I seriously found myself unsure of what to do. In the end, however, I just had to follow my muse because it usually knows better than I do what's going to happen later on in the story.

This chapter is dedicated to **InARealPickle** here on FF and **EraAntha** on the KakaSaku site because although both of you voted for no lemon, I was still able to incorporate your ideas into this chapter which, ironically enough, you might not even read! (sigh)

Anyway...Don't worry non-lemon readers - after this it's back to the mission and good old-fashioned fluff and humor, but until then...

Warning: Rated M for **LEMON**.

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**Chapter 24-The First Time Sakura Has A Second Time**

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As Kakashi breaks our breathtaking kiss, sprinkling affectionate kisses on my face and neck instead, I comb my fingers through his soft, silver hair and laugh at him:

"You know, they're going to be wondering what-

_" ...are they doing?!" Hiraku asks Naruto hysterically._

_"Um..." Naruto says, scratching the back of his neck nervously and sweatdropping. As Hiraku looks back at him expectantly waiting for an answer, he finds himself at a complete loss for words._

_'Dattebayo!' he thinks to himself. 'What the hell_ **are** _you guys doing?!'_

"They can wait." Kakashi murmurs against the side of my neck. "The sun isn't even up yet. And besides, doesn't this feel good?" he asks, moving his kisses down from my neck towards my sternum.

"Of course it does, Kakashi, but-"

"That's not what I meant, Sakura. I meant doesn't it feel good breaking the rules and being positively naughty?" Kakashi asks, smirking up at me from between the valley of my breasts.

"Kakashi, I don't usually-"

Then he plants a kiss upon the dip as his hands slide up my body to cup and gently squeeze my breasts.

"Oh, geez, Kakashi! I don't usually-"

And then his tongue trails up the round curve of one of my breasts and starts to lazily trace circles around its areola.

"Mmm...break the rules, Kakashi!" I'm finally able to spit out.

"You're here with me now, aren't you?" Kakashi asks after releasing my nipple with a wet pop. "Just being with me is breaking all kinds of rules. And if you really did want me to stop, all you have to do is ask." He says, dragging his tongue across the valley of my breasts to suck at my other nipple as his hand gently massages my other breast now wet with his saliva.

"Kakashi..." I pant, finding it difficult to string words coherently together. "We probably should sto-"

His tongue immediately goes from running slow circles around my nipple to quickly flicking against it, making my legs involuntarily and violently shake.

"Oh, screw it! Just keep going!" I say, throwing my head back on the pillow, simply enjoying the feel of his hot mouth and tongue against me.

"You're lucky I'm not an enemy ninja, Sakura. You're so easy to persuade." Kakashi smiles up at me.

"If you were an enemy ninja, Kakashi, I'd be a missing nin because I'd have spilled out all of Konoha's secrets by now and Tsunade would be on my ass like a hemorrhoid!"

"Lovely image during lovemaking, Sakura. Really." Kakashi says with a disbelieving shake of his head while continuing his journey of kisses down my body.

"I'm just saying, you could make anyone sing like a bird!"

Kakashi suddenly freezes on top of me, halting all kisses and gentle massages altogether.

My eyes widen in realization.

"No way!"

"I was in ANBU back then." Kakashi says with an offhanded shrug of his shoulders. "Besides, it never got too far. Just enough to get what I needed, make my kill, and leave."

"Get what you needed?" I ask, raising an eyebrow up at him.

"_Information,_ Sakura. Geez, you have a dirty mind!"

"Says the man who reads 'Come, Come Paradise' in public and currently has his morning 'happiness' pressed up against my thigh!"

"Yeah, well, my 'morning happiness' is about to make you happy, too, so I really don't think you have a reason to be complaining."

"Pervert."

"So are you."

"Hentai."

"So are you. And 'pervert' and 'hentai' are the same thing." Kakashi informs me.

"Oh will you just get back to what you were doing?!"

"Happily." Kakashi answers before continuing to rain kisses down the length of my body.

Now he's at my stomach and with each soft kiss he plants upon it, I can't help but let out a tickled laugh.

"I didn't know you were ticklish, Sakura. Well now I'm just going to have to have fun with you." Kakashi muses.

I barely have the chance to give him a panicked look before I'm screaming:

"Oh my God! Stop it, Kakashi! I said STOP!" I laugh uncontrollably and try to push him away as he blows a raspberry on my stomach.

_"Do you hear laughing?" Hiraku looks questioningly at Naruto._

_Naruto gives an "I don't know" shrug of his shoulders, but in his head he's thinking: "You two better not be doing what I think you're doing, dattebayo!"_

Slipping two fingers inside of me and slowly pumping them in and out between my already wet folds, Kakashi quickly gets my laughter to die down and have it replaced with a deep, pleasured moan.

Up until this point our foreplay has been one-sided, so laying on my side and getting Kakashi to do the same, I reach for his member and begin to gently stroke it from tip to base then slowly back up again, repeating the motion until it's Kakashi who lets out a pleasured moan.

I see a droplet of precum ooze from his tip and raising myself up to slide his fingers out of me, I push him down flat on his back, wrap my lips around his tip, and suck his seed away. If at all possible, Kakashi lets out an even louder moan.

Relaxing my throat, I let him further into the hot, wet cavern of my mouth, slowly bobbing my head up and down against him while simultaneously swirling my tongue against the silkened skin of his cock, letting it slide between my gently probing tongue and the muscles of his hardened member.

Bringing my hand down, I carefully begin to juggle his balls with one hand while my other hand wraps around his base, gently squeezing him up and down in rhythm to my quickly bobbing head.

"Sakura..." Kakashi says my name in a way I've never heard it before, it's both breathless and desperate.

Looking up at him, I see that his eyes are squeezed tightly shut and I know he's trying his best not to lose it.

I slowly let him go and once he's free, he quickly reaches for his backpack next to his bedroll, rummages through it, and pulls out a now familiar small packet covered in foil.

I again watch him in eager anticipation as he tears the foil off, takes the rubber out, pinches its tip, then rolls the rest of it all the way down to his base. With a slight nod of his head indicating that he's ready, I position myself above him with my legs spread wide apart and slowly lower myself down upon him, letting him sink inch by slow inch deeper inside of me. I'm still sore and unused to his penetration and although I know I will get used to it in time, for now I can only lay motionless on top of him, waiting for the pain to ebb away before I can even begin to rock against him.

Cupping my face in his hands, Kakashi angles his head one way and then the other to take my attention away from the stabbing pain between my legs and towards the pleasure of his hungry kisses instead. It works, not only because my focus has been altered, but with him kissing me the way he is, I'm also getting wetter and more pliant by the minute. So when he brings his hands down to my hips and raises his own hips up off the bed to drive himself into me, I'm relieved to feel pleasure coursing through my body rather than pain.

"Again." I murmur close to his ear.

And again Kakashi raises his hips up while bringing mine down upon his.

We both let out a contented moan.

Knowing that it will no longer hurt, I begin gyrating my hips against Kakashi, letting my clit bump against him with each wide circle of my hips. Feelings of pleasure immediately shoot up from all my nerve endings and I find myself swirling and grinding my pelvis against his at an increasingly faster pace and with smaller and smaller circles. I can feel the tension building up inside of me until my breathing quickens of its own volition, my inner muscles undulate uncontrollably around his hardened cock, and then just as quickly both my breathing and my body still as my vaginal walls clamp down hard on Kakashi's member, refusing to let it go until wave upon wave of sheer, unadultered bliss racks my body.

When my inner muscles finally relax and loosen their vice-like grip around Kakashi, he gives me just a minute to catch my breath and bring my heart rate back down to normal before he's mercilessly pistoning himself into me once more. I rest the side of my face next to his, squeeze my eyes tightly shut, and try to endure the impossible speed and force he's using to drive into me.

I feel my inner muscles begin to undulate around him again, indicating the beginnings of yet another orgasm when he huffs hotly into my ear:

"I'm-"

_"...coming any minute! I told them we were waiting!" Naruto tries to tell Hiraku who just continues to look irritated and unconvinced._

Kakashi gives a few more desperate thrusts before slamming hard into me one last time and groaning his release into my ear. I can only hold my breath because I'm experiencing my own high as my inner muscles clamp down hard upon him during my second orgasm.

As he collapses back down onto the bed and I collapse on top of him, we pant exhaustedly into each other's ear, grateful for our mutual and simultaneous release.

Honestly, I don't know how both of us could've gone straight to work with both of us so-

_"...hot and bothered, Hiraku-chan. It's still really early and I'm sure they'll be here any minute." Madam Shijimi tries to comfort her daughter while stroking Tora's back who's currently at wit's end trying to jump out of the well-meaning woman's embrace._

_"Fine, mother! But if you ask me, I still think it's highly unprofes-"_

_"Sorry to make you wait." Kakashi interrupts, strolling happily along by my side, giving everyone a "hello" salute and a happy eye crease._

_"See? There they are!" Madam Shijimi smiles and waves back at us._

_"Where_** were**_ you?!" Naruto asks me with gritted teeth once I come to a stop by his side._

_"Same place I was when you last saw me." I say with a sly smile. "Oh, and Naruto? Kakashi just reminded me that you owe me money. Lots and lots of money." I say, my smile growing even wider._

_"And how's that?" he asks a little bit peeved._

_"Because, not only have I seen his face several times now, but I can also tell you that he doesn't have buckteeth or fishlips and that he's actually very, very good looking and even looks way younger than he really is." I say with a knowing smile._

_"Dattebayo!" Naruto says both in disbelief and bewilderment._

To be continued...

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Happy Valentine's Day everyone!. : )


	25. 1st Time Kaka Discovers His Is Better

Disclaimer: I do not own "Naruto."

Thank you for all the reviews, faves, and alerts! They keep me going!

Sorry for the long wait. Moving is a pain in the ass. I don't recommend it. Writer's block is a pain in the ass, too. I don't recommend that either.

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**Chapter 25-The First Time Kakashi Discovers That His Is Better**

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Things change. It's inevitable. You could be minding your own business, happy as a clam, thinking that life is finally just perfect then WHAM! Curveball. Life and fate don't care who you are and what your plans are in life. _They will screw you over._

Thing is, I never asked for much in life. I figured that if I kept my desires simple, then surely the fates would look kindly down upon me and let me have my way because, after all, Haruno Sakura isn't asking for much, just a certain Uchiha with an above average IQ, smoldering good looks, and a desire to rebuild his clan. "Smart, sexy, and looking for sex." I mean, seriously, is it any wonder why Uchiha Sasuke had girls literally throwing themselves at him, myself included? The guy was a walking, talking billboard for an ultimate dream date!

And for a time, the fates did seem to have looked kindly down upon me for they had granted me my wish. After all, I got teamed up with Sasuke and Ino didn't. _Finally,_ things seemed to be perfect.

So if you had told me ten years ago, "You see this man, this man who is to be your sensei? The one who just got bopped on the top of the head with an eraser? You're going to fall in love with him one day and you're going to make love to him one day, too." I'd have yelled at how that was the stupidest thing I'd ever heard, that you needed to go to the nearest hospital to get your head checked, and that's just plain gross!

Life. Fate. _Screw you over._

"What?" Kakashi asks, meeting my scrutinizing gaze with his own confused one.

"You got lucky." I say, looking back at him through squinted eyes.

"Course I did. Twice. So did you." Kakashi says happily.

"Oh, I sooo do not want to be hearing this!" Naruto says, covering his ears with his hands and quickening his pace to catch up with Yamato.

"What's wrong with you?" Yamato asks.

"You really don't want to know!" is Naruto's clearly disturbed answer.

I ignore Naruto's reaction and turn my attention back to the silver-haired baka walking next to me.

"That's not what I meant, Kakashi!"

"Oh, I'm sorry. When you said 'got lucky' I just automatically assumed-"

"And how are you a genius?" I ask, looking at him bewildered.

"I'm a ninja genius, Sakura. I don't know what kind of genius it would take to understand women...Maybe a woman genius perhaps?" Kakashi says, scratching the bottom of his chin in thought.

"I mean, if things hadn't turned out the way they had, do you think things would've turned out the way they had?"

"You're repeating yourself, Sakura."

"I_ mean_, if Sasuke hadn't left, do you think we'd still have ended up together?"

"If Sasuke hadn't left, you wouldn't be who you are now, Sakura. So my answer is no, I don't think we would have."

"Really?" I ask, my voice taking on an unintended high pitch.

"Well, when Sasuke was still around you were annoyingly obsessed, you were mean to Naruto, and your goals in life were wayward. The minute he left, that all changed. Sure your obsession may have only shifted from getting Sasuke to love you back to getting him back altogether, but with him gone, you were forced to focus on becoming stronger, smarter, and a better kunoichi and a better person in general. I didn't fall for you simply because you filled out, Sakura. I may be a pervert, but if a hot body was all that I wanted, there are plenty of other women in and out of Konoha that I could've pursued instead. But I chose you because I saw you grow and mature in front of my very eyes and the contrast of who you were back then and who you are now is like day and night. I'm sad, too, that Sasuke left. I was his mentor, after all, and I should've been able to stop him from leaving in the first place. I tried so hard to get through to him, but I failed. But if his leaving made you a better person, made me see you differently, and made me fall in love with you and you with me, then maybe his leaving was a blessing in disguise. What worries me is that we are together and yet _he's_ the one who's still on your mind. So what's your answer to your own question, Sakura? Would we be together, if Sasuke hadn't left?"

_Talk about backfire._

"I honestly don't know, Kakashi. If he had stayed, it doesn't necessarily mean he'd have loved me back."

"And if he had?"

I say nothing because the truth would only hurt him.

"I thought so." Kakashi says quietly, turning his gaze away from me to watch the sun finally rise over the mountains turning darkness into light.

"Kakashi, it's a stupid thing to speculate about. I should've never even brought it up."

"No, Sakura, I'm glad you did because what happens when Sasuke does come back? What happens to us then?"

"Kakashi, if Sasuke does or doesn't come back, believe me when I say I love you no matter what."

"The same goes for me, but you love him, too, right?...No matter what?"

I was hoping to reply again in silence, but

"Yes." I say in a whisper.

In Kakashi's one exposed eye I see his emotions go from shock, to sadness, to anger.

"But Kakashi, you have to understand that the way I love him and the way I love you is different. You can never love two people the same and the way I love you is better. Sasuke was a childhood crush and even then, I was in love with the person I made him up to be and not who he actually was. He may have been good looking and smart and talented, but he was also cold and indifferent and wouldn't give me the time of day. That's not the kind of person that I, or anybody for that matter, should be in a relationship with. I may still love him, but now only as a lost teammate and friend. You I love because you _see_ me. I may not have been the best person back when I was twelve, but you still saw me when he didn't. While he stomped all over my apples, you laid a hand on my shoulder and told me that everything would be alright...don't ask." I say, noticing the questioning look in Kakashi's eye. "Point is, you've always been kind and comforting and caring to me when he wasn't. You may have fallen for me because of how I've changed, but I've fallen for you because of how you haven't. And I don't just love you because of that, Kakashi, I'm _in_ love with you. That's the difference in how I love Sasuke and how I love you and _that's_ what will keep me at your side even if he does come back tomorrow or fifty years from now."

"And if I take that to be true, you won't regret it, being stuck with me?"

"Kakashi, I'm not 'stuck' with you, you're stuck with _me_ because for however many times now, I'm telling you that _I'm in love with you._ Yes, it's true that Sasuke was the one that I always dreamed myself ending up with and that things didn't turn out the way I had planned, but sometimes life's plan for us is better than anything we might have imagined for ourselves and those changes that we at first utterly detested turn out to be, like you said, really blessings in disguise. Because don't you see? You're the one who treats me good. You're the one who treats me right. And you're the one that I'm really meant to be with. I might never have realized that if life hadn't taken the turn it had, forcing me to open up my eyes and see that there was something, _someone_ better out there for me."

I see the apprehension slowly melt away from Kakashi's one exposed eye, replaced with the soft, tender look that he's come to reserve only for me and that I've now grown accustomed to. And then-

"God, I wish we were back at the castle!" he says in exasperation, looking up to the heavens.

"I know, right?" I reply with a laugh.

But for the time being we both settle for a soft kiss on the lips through his mask.

"Geez, don't you two ever stop?" Naruto asks, shaking his head back at us in disbelief.

"Listen to you, mister got-caught-making-out-with-a-certain-Hyuuga-heiress-in-her-father's-closet!" I say with a knowing smirk.

"How did you...How could you...Just get a room!" Naruto says with a huff, facing forward again and trying his best to ignore the continued soft spoken words between me and Kakashi.

"Maybe we should get a room," Kakashi murmurs playfully in my ear, "And have _him_ pay for it." He says with a smile and slight nod to Naruto's back. "He does still owe you that large bet, right?"

"Yeah, he does, but if you haven't noticed we're in the middle of a mission right now and Miss Hiss over there is already pissed that we got here late." I say, slightly nodding my own head in Hiraku's direction who's looking out the window of her carriage, glaring at us in what way? Pissed.

"Maybe she and Naruto should get together and create a club." Kakashi says only half jokingly.

"Yeah, well, Naruto loves us and the idea of us. He said so himself. I think he's just not used to our public displays of affection. As for Miss Hiss, there's more than one reason that she's ticked off and it has mainly to do with me finding out about something that I wasn't supposed to."

"This is about that day in the garden, isn't it?" Kakashi asks sagely.

"Well what do you know? You are a genius!" I say in mock surprise.

"Ninja genius, Sakura. I'm not in the bingo books for nothing if I can't figure out what caught your attention in those trees yesterday."

"Well then, _genius,_ can you tell me who she was with and why she's so insistent upon going through with this marriage if she's obviously into somebody else?"

"_Ninja_ genius, Sakura, ninja! I'm not a woman. I don't know how your people think!"

"I am my people and I still don't know what Hiraku's thinking!"

"Well maybe you should just have a little heart to heart with her then."

"And how am I supposed to do that? She hid behind her guards the last time I tried to do that and I'm sure she'll find another way to hide from me again during the rest of this journey."

"You're a ninja, too, Sakura. I'm sure you'll figure it out."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, Kakashi, but the only way I'll get her alone is if-"

"Is if?..."

"You're a ninja, Kakashi. You'll figure it out." I say with a smirk.

"Okay, Sakura, I think we need to make a clear distinction between ninja genius and the genius of reading women's minds!"

"Kakashi, you don't have to be a genius to read _my_ mind."

"And what makes you say th -Mmph!- Mmm...Sakura, if we keep kissing on the job like this I think Miss Hiss over there is going to have a major fit."

"No, you're right, Kakashi. That was highly unprofessional of me. Consider that our last kiss then...until tonight that is." I say coyly.

"Tonight, huh?" Kakashi asks, now with a gleam in his eye.

"Like I said, you don't have to be a genius to read _my_ mind."

"Pervert."

"Takes one to know one."

"God, I wish we were back at the castle!"

"I know, right?!"

To be continued...


	26. 1st Time Kaka Threatens To Take It Back!

Disclaimer: I do not own "Naruto."

Thank you as always for all the reviews, faves, and alerts! And special thanks for your patience and kind words of encouragement. It's nice having a writer's block support group : )

* * *

**Chapter 26-The First Time Kakashi Threatens To Take It Back!**

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"I can help, you know?"

I don't look at him, but keep my eyes trained on Hiraku over my canteen as I take a deep drink of cool water from it.

"Thanks, Kakashi, but I got this covered." I say, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand as I watch my target have a low spoken conversation with her guards. They stand a few yards away from the rest of us who are resting and having lunch in the dappled shade of the trees.

Although the daimyo has taken on Team Kakashi to watch his daughter's convoy, the majority (and the best) of his guards continue to accompany it because as aforementioned, the daimyo is not a stupid man. And when it comes to something as precious and valuable as his daughter, he is even more cautious and astute, and for that I am grateful.

I watch for a few more minutes as the talk between Hiraku and her guards becomes louder and more escalated, then I grin in satisfaction when one of the guards finally makes a beeline towards me.

"Yes?" I drawl as the guard, one of the very same guards who gave me and Naruto the chills, looks sheepishly at me and says:

"Uh, Hiraku-hime needs to use the, um, _facilities_ and per her father's orders, she is not to be let out of anyone's sight. And since you're a woman ninja-"

"I'll be happy to be of assistance." I smile at the guard who smiles back at me in relief. I turn to look at Hiraku in the distance who, in contrast to the guard, is scowling back at me.

"This is going to be fun." I say under my breath, smiling and giving her a friendly wave at the same time.

She scowls at me even more.

"_That's_ your big plan to get her alone and talk?" Kakashi asks incredulously.

"Hey, when you gotta go, you gotta go." I say with a shrug of my shoulders. "Besides, this isn't the first time the women's bathroom has been used to gossip about our men."

"Is that why you guys take so long in there?" Kakashi says with a shake of his head.

"Don't worry, you won't be the topic of conversation _this time._" I reassure him, standing up and smirking coyly at him over my shoulder.

Kakashi's eye only gleams back up at me.

Naruto's own eyes shoot from me to Kakashi.

"Even when they're talking about work, they're still flirty with each other!" He says with a disbelieving shake of his head.

"Believe it!" I tell Naruto before giving Kakashi a "flirty" wink.

The last thing I see as I make my way to Miss Hiss is Naruto's agape mouth and the last thing I hear is Kakashi's heartfelt laughter, making my heart feel light in spite of the fact that the young woman straight ahead of me is giving me the evil eye.

"Shall we?" I ask as I pass Hiraku, leading the way into the forest.

I hear an exasperated huff behind me, but I also hear her following closely behind me all the same.

I can't help the smug smile spreading across my face because like my mother always told me: "Where there's a will, there's a way."

* * *

"I'm not telling you anything." Hiraku says sulkily as we come to a stop far enough into the forest to give her privacy, but close enough to camp to call for help if we need it.

"What's there to tell?" I ask while waving for her to go ahead and do her business behind some low, thick bushes. "I already know what your deal is."

"Really?" she asks skeptically. "Then why put so much effort into speaking with me alone?"

"Because I'm going to talk you out of what you're trying to do."

"If you know so much, then you should also know that doing that won't do you any good."

"Hiraku-hime, whatever sense of duty you think you may have-"

"My mind is set, Sakura-san, just like my father's. We need this alliance with Wind."

"The kages of Fire and Wind already have an alliance! You don't have to do this!"

"The marriage will make that alliance stronger."

"But this is your life!"

"In my position, the lives of my people _is_ my life."

"Is that what your father told you?"

"Yes, it is, and I think it's a noble and virtuous way to live one's life, especially when the lives of many depend upon yours."

"You think I don't know that? That's the underlying principle of a shinobi's life - to put the well-being of other's before our own!"

"Then you must understand why I'm doing what I'm doing."

"But you're in love with someone else!"

"..."

"I'll get over it."

"Hiraku-hime, you can't be serious!"

"How can you be so contradictory, Sakura-san? One minute you're telling me you understand what it's like to put other's before ourselves and the next you're asking me to do the exact opposite of that!"

"But what good is sacrificing your own happiness for people who are already happy? It just seems like you're putting yourself through needless pain!"

"I'm thinking long-term, Sakura-san. What if the bond between the kages somehow breaks? My upcoming marriage will at least ensure a safety net. Besides, even if I wasn't engaged to be married, my relationship with the other man would've never worked out."

"And what makes you say that? Is he a commoner or something?"

"Something like that."

"Well, so what if he is? You're not obligated to marry within the elites anymore! Such laws have long been overwritten. Even I know that!"

"Are you kidding me? The castle's reception room alone should've clued you in to what my father thinks about people's statures in society! It doesn't matter what time period we're in, my father still abides by the old traditions."

"Just because he does things and believes things a certain way doesn't mean that you have to, too! You are who you are and he is who he is. You have to do what's right for you, not for him or anybody else! Otherwise you'll come to regret it!"

"Ah, so is that what you and your boyfriend tell yourselves?"

"Don't you dare bring Kakashi and me into this!"

"Why not? You two have been in this from the very beginning! Just because you two said 'Screw you!' to the rest of the world and are all 'Happily ever after' now doesn't mean that the rest of us should be so bold! I'm glad that things worked out for you both in spite of the obvious difference in your ages, but your decision to defy social norms doesn't mean that I should, too! Like you said, I am who I am and you are who you are. What may have worked out for you, may not necessarily work out for me!"

"You can't be sure of that and I'm only trying to look out for you! I don't want to see you get hurt!"

"And if I do get hurt, then it'll be my own fault!"

"Hiraku..."

"Sakura-san, nothing you can say will change my mind! Now if you'll excuse me..." Hiraku says stepping out of the bushes and quickly making her way back to camp. She doesn't even wait for me, forcing me to chase after her instead.

As the thick vegetation opens up, I see that she has already seated herself back in her carriage with the grimmest expression set on her face. Our eyes meet for a second before she abruptly shuts the curtains of her little window close.

"So...I assume it didn't work." Kakashi says softly as he steps to my side.

I can only nod my head in defeat.

"There's still time," he says comfortingly, placing a hand on my shoulder.

"I don't know, Kakashi. She's so determined and the thing is, I think she might be right."

"Just because what she says sounds right, doesn't mean that it is. If your instincts are telling you that she needs your help, then trust that."

"Well, right now I'm wondering if my instincts might be wrong."

"This isn't like you, Sakura, to question yourself and your own instincts. This isn't the person I bought that ridiculously expensive kimono for. Don't make me return that dress!" he threatens.

I can't help but crack a smile.

"This is why I love you, Kakashi." I say, cupping my hand to the side of his face.

"Because I crack jokes and make you feel better?" he asks, placing his own hand on top of mine and pressing his masked cheek harder against my palm.

"Because you believe that I'm a better person than I really am and force me to become that person."

"I don't force you to be anything but yourself, Sakura. Sometimes you just need another person's perspective to see what you already have, but can't see for yourself."

"Now if I can only do the same for Hiraku - open up her eyes to see what she's incapable of seeing."

"The fact that she's making a mistake?"

"_Why_ she's making a mistake. I just need a different angle to show her that and I think you may have just helped me find it."

"I did? How?"

I raise myself up on my tiptoes and softly kiss him on the lips through his mask.

"Finding someone who sees more than you see in yourself is a rare thing, Kakashi. Getting him to love you back - even rarer. I'm going to show Hiraku that - that she'd be stupid to throw away so lightly what most of us strive for and sometimes never even get to have - respectful and mutual love."

"You're a hopeless romantic, Sakura." Kakashi says, lifting my chin up with his finger and lowering his head down to give me another sweet kiss, his half-hooded eye shining down at me as we part.

"I just don't want you to return my dress!" I smile back up at him.

To be continued...


	27. The First Time They Kiss On It

Disclaimer: I do not own "Naruto." If I did, everybody wouldn't be so damn platonic!

Thank you for all the reviews, faves, and alerts! Nice to know this story is appreciated. : )

* * *

**Chapter 27-The First Time They Kiss On It**

* * *

The thing about us hopeless romantics is that it doesn't take much to get our alarm bells ringing and our red flags waving around a potential couple. We smell romance the way a shark smells blood in the ocean - we don't need a lot to tip us off. All we need is a hint.

Sitting in a saddle on top of one of the regal white horses is Hiraku. After hours of being confined inside the royal carriage, she has decided to ride horseback for a change. It's risky because it puts her out in the open, making it harder for everyone to protect her, but Hiraku is a stubborn girl. In spite of everyone trying to reason with her (and her mother literally pleading for her to get back inside the carriage) she pretty much blew everyone off and did what she wanted anyway. But watching her now, sitting confident and proud on top of her high horse, I see it - a soft brush of the hand as the stable boy hands her her reins and a lingering look between the two.

"Oh my God." I whisper.

"What?" Kakashi whispers back to me.

"That's _him!"_

"Who?"

"Hiraku's mystery man!"

"Where?"

"There!"

Kakashi squints his eye in the direction I'm looking at.

"Him? Are you sure?"

"Kakashi, _look_ at him! It's the same guy as the one who was in the gardens with Hiraku!"

"Sakura, we can't be sure of that. It was late and they were pretty far away..."

"Fine, Kakashi! But look at them now!"

We both turn our heads back to the couple and watch silently and intently the scene playing out before us.

As Hiraku smiles shyly down at the stable boy and nervously tucks a strand of hair behind her ear, he smiles warmly back up at her and absentmindedly pets the neck of the horse. We notice how Hiraku's and the stable boy's smiles and eyes seem to linger upon each other and for that brief moment in time, all four of us are left hanging. The spell is only broken when the stable boy gives the horse one last pat and Hiraku a parting sad smile. We see her mouth "thank you," then gaze sadly at his back as he turns around and slowly makes his way back to the end of the convoy with the rest of the royal servants.

I turn to look at Kakashi and I can tell from his one lone eye drooping in sadness as well that he's thinking the same thing that I am.

"This isn't right." He says quietly. "We need to do something."

"I know, that's what I've been trying to do all along, but Hiraku has made it clear that she's going through with the wedding anyway."

"It's not too late, Sakura. She's not married yet."

"No, but she might as well be. We can't help someone who doesn't want to be helped, Kakashi."

"Too bad for her then because we're going to help her whether she likes it or not."

"Did you just say 'we'?"

"Yes, because this time I'm going to help you."

"Really? And how do you intend to do that?"

"You keep talking to Hiraku. I'll talk to the stable boy. Just because she doesn't want our help doesn't mean that he doesn't either."

"You think it'll work?"

"It's worth a try."

I smile up at Kakashi.

"I never thought I'd pin you as a meddling matchmaker, Kaka-sensei."

"I'm not, but I didn't give you up without a fight and I'm not going to let those two part without at least trying to do the same."

"You're as hopeless a romantic as I am."

"'Icha, Icha' should've tipped you off on that."

"'Icha, Icha'! You gotta be kidding me! Porn doesn't equate romance, Kakashi!"

"Depends on how it's written. It isn't all 'Wham, bam, thank you ma'am!' you know? Something's gotta lead up to the lovemaking."

"So you're reading epic romances then, not smut, huh?" I raise a skeptical eyebrow up at him.

"You didn't seem to have any objections when I was romancing you." He says with a happy eye crease.

"Please don't tell me the moves you used on me are the same ones in 'Icha, Icha'!" I say aghast.

"Geez, Sakura, don't sound so disgusted! Was it so disturbing that I danced with you under the stars on top of Hokage Monument? Or that I bought you that beautiful kimono? Or that I stood up for you, for _us,_ in front of the hokage herself?"

"Well, no, of course not. That was all very romantic actually-"

"Exactly. I may be a perv, Sakura, but I'm a perv with substance."

"A perv with substance." I repeat, not knowing whether to laugh in his face or let him continue with this delusional description of himself. I opt for the latter.

"Well, yeah. See, if I was just a regular perv I would have noticed you only because of how your body filled out, which is really just...Wow."

I smile in appreciation at the compliment when I realize the reason he's taking so long to continue explaining is because he's got a glazed over look in his eye and is literally checking me out from head to toe.

"Kakashi!"

"Hmm..."

"You were saying?"

"Saying what?"

_"Why_ you're not just a regular perv!"

"Oh, right! Sorry! Got a little distracted there for - ahem - a moment."

I roll my eyes at him when I notice something.

"Kakashi..."

"Yes, Sakura?"

"What's that seeping through your mask? Is your nose...bleeding?"

Kakashi quickly pinches the bridge of his nose with his index finger and thumb, tilts his head back, and says in a now nasally voice:

"Uh, yeah. It happens sometimes. But like I was saying..."

"Please, Kakashi. I don't think you could convince me you're a perv with substance now even if Jiraiya, Naruto, and all of Naruto's Sexy Jutsus made an appearance right now and told me that you were!"

"Okay, Sakura! So I'm a perv, but you love me anyway, right?"

"I'm seriously reconsidering that fact." I mutter.

"And I love you, too, even before the-" He gesticulates in front of his chest to convey "boobs," "And the-" He just randomly waves his hands in my general direction.

"Gee, thanks." I say through gritted teeth. If he was Naruto or at least a few inches shorter, I would've already knocked him on top of the head with my fist and he'd be silent because the anthill-size lump on his head would've effectively shut him up already.

"But seriously, Sakura..." He says, releasing his nose and looking me straight in the eyes. "Hiraku and the stable boy - that's us. That's how things would be between us if I didn't fight for you - reduced to fleeting touches and longing looks. A regular perv would turn his back on a complicated relationship like ours and just find the next sexy piece of ass that came his way, but I _fought_ for you. You're not just a pretty face to me or some young thing to sleep with and forget about in the morning. I've known you for far too long and respect you too much to do something like that to you. Not to mention how I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I ever lost your respect because I...I'm just not a regular perv, okay Sakura? If I was, I wouldn't give a damn about your feelings, but the thing is, I do. I could never hurt you and would never want to hurt you because _I'm_ the one who comforts you when you do get hurt. That's always the way it's been between us and I have no intention of ever changing that."

I smile and slowly shake my head at Kakashi.

"Well, you're either a perv with substance, like you say, or a regular perv who's just a real smooth talker, but seeing how you used to be my sensei and that you're my teammate and friend, I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and go with the first one, nosebleed and all." I say, wrapping my arms around his waist and burying my face into his chest. "And thank you for fighting for me. I don't think I could live with just fleeting touches and longing looks. I prefer you like this - having all of you."

I feel Kakashi's arms wrap low around my own waist, embracing me tighter against him.

"So do I. And that's why I'll help you meddle with Hiraku and the stable boy's relationship. They're obviously in love and they deserve the same chance to have all of each other. We're shinobi, we know how to fight and stand up for ourselves. We just gotta teach them to do the same for themselves."

"This could all blow up in our faces, you do know that, right?"

"Maybe. But like I said in Tsunade's office, there are only a few things really worth fighting for in life, and love tops them all."

"You're such a perv with substance." I tease Kakashi.

"No, Sakura. I'm a hopeless romantic."

"Same difference."

And rather than continue to argue about it, we kiss on it instead.

To be continued...

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	28. 1st Time Kaka Admits He Used To Be One

Disclaimer: I do not own "Naruto."

Thank you for continuing to read this story and to everyone who faved, alerted, and reviewed. I honestly appreciate it. : )

* * *

**Chapter 28-The First Time Kakashi Admits That He Used To Be One**

* * *

Evening falls and the world around us changes. Kakashi and I sit shoulder to shoulder on a fallen log, watching in comfortable silence as the last rays of the setting sun bleed into the slowly darkening sky, turning it into brilliant shades of burnt pinks and oranges with just a touch of purple brushed here and there. To say it's beautiful is an understatement yet no other word fits it so perfectly.

My head instinctively falls softly against Kakashi's shoulder with his own head coming to a gentle rest against mine. As a cool gust of wind blows against the grassy knoll we sit upon, the temperature drops, making me shiver and fully aware of how we're still in the middle of winter. Kakashi's hand quickly moves up to my arm and rubs up and down against it to make it warmer. His masked lips pressed against the crown of my head only makes me feel warmer and cozier in his loving embrace.

Resting his cheek back onto the top of my head, we both let out a slow, contented sigh, a small smile gracing both our lips. We sigh for several reasons...

We sigh because we finished another day of our mission without incident even with Hiraku riding out in the open like free bait.

We sigh because our bodies are relieved to finally rest, the day's worth of travel finally taking its toll.

But we sigh mostly because we are simply happy. These last few days have been the happiest we've been in a long time and it can all be attributed to each other and these quiet moments we spend together.

Again, we sigh - a lovers' sigh.

But not all is as it seems for right behind us is: Sheer. Chaos.

Like trees on Miracle Grow (with a drop of liquid crack for good measure) building upon building loudly erupt from the ground and shake the very earth beneath our feet. Nearby, Yamato has his hands clapped together and is sweating profusely as he uses whatever little chakra he has left to build not one, not two, not three, but _four_ houses for everyone in our convoy. Why? Because Yamato is too nice of a guy for his own good.

When we finally entered River Country a few hours ago, rather than have everyone try to cross the river or walk a few more miles alongside it to get to a premade bridge, Yamato summoned a wooden bridge with his Mokuton Jutsu instead.

When Hiraku asked in awe what else he was capable of doing, rather than say "Nothing," Yamato stated he could build houses as well.

And when Hiraku asked if he could build living quarters for everyone tonight, Yamato happily agreed, even volunteering to do it for however many nights it would take us to get to Wind Country, thinking that he was just going to summon one large house like he usually does when Team Kakashi goes out on missions. Instead, Hiraku requested one house to accommodate herself, her mother, and Tora (Yes, Tora is with them on this trip. Do you really think Madam Shijimi could live without her precious Tora-chan even for a few weeks?), another house for her guards, another for her servants, and of course, another for Team Kakashi. Not to mention a stable with individual stalls to hold all 24 horses - so that the wolves wouldn't get to them in the middle of the night. When Yamato asked, understandably overwhelmed, why everyone couldn't just share a single, mansion-sized house that could comfortably accommodate everybody, Hiraku's haughty response, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world was: "Because then everyone won't be separated by social class as they ought to be."

At that moment, Kakashi and I gave each other a groan and a look, not only because of how unbelievably &#! Hiraku's snooty response was, but because it was a clear indication of how much work we had ahead of us. It is this very _mindset_ that is the root of our, or rather, Hiraku's problem - She somehow has it embedded in her head that certain people shouldn't be together for no other reason than "just because." It's bigotry at its best and as most people with prejudices go, it's difficult to get through to them because they believe that they're absolutely, completely right, going so far as to stubbornly shut their eyes, ears, hearts, and minds to anyone or anything that contradicts them. And such is ignorance. And such is the problem it causes everyone unfortunate enough to be touched by it.

"There's still hope." Kakashi murmurs now in my ear, holding me close as we watch the last sliver of the shimmering sun sink into the sparkling waves of the river in front of us. Meanwhile, behind us Hiraku continues to torment, I mean, _tell_ Yamato the exact spot where she wants each house to be built.

"How can you say that, Kakashi?" I ask with a shake of my head. "There's about as much hope of Hiraku having a change of heart as there is of Sasuke coming back!"

"That much confidence, huh?" Kakashi says with an audible smile in his voice.

I just fold my arms tightly across my chest, stare hard into the distance, and continue to pout.

Kakashi laughs at me and hugs me tighter.

"Sakura...As hardheaded and as awful as Hiraku may seem, she's really not. When it comes right down to it, she's just a young girl born into a position with a lot of responsibility and a lot of pressure who's just trying to do the right thing."

"Well, she comes off as cold and full of herself if you ask me."

"Maybe, but I think she just acts that way to protect herself. Take it from a guy who's been called 'aloof' more times than I care to remember."

"You're nothing like her, Kakashi! She's so stubborn and self-righteous! How could you even-"

"She's nothing in comparison to how I used to be when I was younger."

I can only look up into Kakashi's eye in disbelief while he just continues to look down at me with that soft look of kindness and understanding in his eye.

"When the world around you feels like a mess, Sakura, like something you just can't take, people find different ways to cope. Some people drink, some people draw, some people hide inside themselves while others go to extremes, like doing everything by the book, but each action has a reaction: a hangover, an angsty piece of art, people feeling pushed away, and people taking things the wrong way..."

"So you're saying I'm taking Hiraku's bad attitude the wrong way."

"What I'm saying is that people are easily misunderstood. Sometimes someone who comes off as 'cold' or 'full of themselves' is just going through a lot of stuff and the last thing they need is to be called names. What they really need is someone to see what they're going through and give them a little bit of understanding."

"Anyone who can do that must be a saint!"

"Or just a really good friend."

"She's just a client, Kakashi. Nothing more."

"She's a person and everyone deserves a chance. Just try to see things her way, okay?"

For a second I turn around in my seat, take a good long look at Hiraku, then turn back around to face Kakashi again.

"I see Hiraku putting Yamato through a lot of shit."

Kakashi snorts in laughter.

"She just wants everyone to be properly sheltered for a cold winter's night, Sakura."

"I see a stuck up little girl who doesn't want to sleep with the maids."

"I see a young girl who, in spite of her self-proclaimed high standards, fell in love with the stable boy anyway."

"..."

"You got me there, Kakashi."

"Good, because like I said, there's still hope. Haven't you noticed that for all Hiraku's griping about our flirting and being late, she hasn't said one negative word about our relationship?"

"And?..."

"And I think that's where our hope lies, our common ground, because even _she_ knows her relationship is not all that different from ours-"

"Weird?"

"Unconventional."

"You mean weird."

"Fine. Weird and unconventional. You happy?"

"Very."

"You know, you're very lucky that I'm a very patient man."

"That's why I'm with you, old man."

"I prefer to be called 'mature and experienced'." He tells me with a mischievous glint in his eye. I look up at him and match it with my own, both of our minds wandering to...other things. But of course-

"Sakura-CHAAAN!!"

Kakashi and I both let out another sigh, this time not a contented one, but an exasperated one as we turn around to face the loud-mouthed blond bouncing our way.

"Yes, Naruto?" I ask tiredly.

"Sakura, we _really_ need to talk about this bet. I just can't afford it!" And as proof he pulls out Gama-chan from his pocket, the poor frog looking limp and starved for coins.

"Naruto, you really don't have to panic. It's not like I'm going to make you pay for the bet all in one lump sum. When you _do_ get paid, just pay for my meals whenever we go out to eat from now on. You can be my boyfriend _without_ benefits." I smile at him.

Beside me, Kakashi laughs.

"In fact, if you pay for Kakashi's meals as well, which you normally end up doing anyway-"

Kakashi's laughter abruptly dies for some reason.

"...Then you can pay your debt off twice as quick. You'll be both my and Kakashi's sugar daddy." I say happily.

Again Kakashi is smiling next to me because now he's fully aware that not only does he get to be my boyfriend _with_ benefits, but that he gets to continue being his tightwad self as well.

"But Sakura-chan, it'll take me another 10 years to pay you off!"

But Kakashi and I barely hear him because Yamato just finished building the houses and Hiraku is walking towards the one she's designated for herself. At the same time, the stable boy is leading a horse towards the newly made stalls.

Kakashi and I exchange knowing looks and both stand up.

"Remember, Sakura, if even the hardest of hardasses like myself can change, so can she."

I nod and we lightly touch lips, Naruto looking between us in confusion. Then we part ways, each of us going a different direction after our targets.

Now standing alone on the grassy knoll, I hear Naruto say: "Since when did Kakashi-sensei stop being a hardass?"

I think on it for a second and figure that Naruto's right. As lazy and cool-headed as Kakashi is, he's still notorious for-

"Naruto..." I hear Kakashi yell up at him from the opposite direction, "I think you're overdue for another bell test."

"Aw, man!"

_That._

To be continued...


	29. 1st Time He Admits She's His 1 in 6 bill

Disclaimer: I do not own "Naruto."

Thank you to everyone who's reviewed, faved, alerted, and continued reading this story because what fun is there in doing something if nobody else is enjoying it with you? (Lemon people - get your heads out of the gutter! I'm talking about writing stories. _Writing._)

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**Chapter 29-The First Time Kakashi Admits That Sakura Is His One in Six Billion**

* * *

"Hiraku-hime, wait up!"

"For goodness sake, don't you _ever_ give up?" Hiraku asks irately, shooting me a dirty look over her shoulder without missing a single quick step.

"I've got a best friend who's determined to become hokage, another friend who's determined to kill off all of the remaining Uchihas, and a boyfriend who doesn't know how to give up his mask or his porn. I tend to take after my friends, so long story short, no I don't." I say deadpan.

Hiraku comes to an abrupt halt, swiftly turns around, and looks me straight in the eyes.

"Listen, Sakura-san, I understand what you're trying to do and why you're doing it, but really, I'm okay with this. _Shinri_ is okay with this, so please just stay out of it!"

"Shinri. So that's his name then, is it?"

Hiraku's eyes widen at her little slip.

_"I'm sorry, what did you say your name was?"_

_"Kakashi. Hatake Kakashi. I'm one of the Konoha ninjas assigned to protect this convoy on the way to Wind."_

_"Ah, glad to meet you." Shinri says with a friendly smile, releasing one of his hands from the horse's reins to give Kakashi a firm handshake. "I definitely feel better knowing that you and your team are watching our backs." He says sincerely. "So what can I do for you, Kakashi-san?"_

_"Actually, I need to talk to you about something important and somewhat...personal."_

_The smile on Shinri's face quickly fades, replaced by a look of tense apprehension. Without Kakashi actually saying it, Shinri already has an idea of what it is that Kakashi wants to speak to him about. After all, there were only two other people in the gardens with him and Hiraku that fateful evening back at the castle. One had unusual pink hair and the other had equally unusual silver hair that could only belong to the elite shinobi now standing in front of him._

_Kakashi half expects Shinri to politely tell him to leave him alone, but instead-_

_"Let me just put Aseri away," Shinri says, referring to the horse that he's been leading on a rope._

_Kakashi nods, almost laughing at the irony of the horse's name, but he thinks better of it and focuses on what he's going to say to Shinri instead._ (A/N: "Aseri" means "impatience" in Japanese.)

"I really don't have time for this!" Hiraku scowls at me, quickly turning around and making her way back to the house Yamato had built for her.

"What's the hurry?" I ask, chasing after her again. "I'm sure your maids have already unpacked for you and rolled out your bedroll."

"If you haven't noticed, Sakura-san, a major merger is about to happen between two elite countries. There are details and documents that have to be gone over and over again to make sure that the transaction goes smoothly, but then again, you probably wouldn't know of such things now would you?"

"With all do respect, Hiraku-hime, I'm aware of our respective positions, but that doesn't give you the right to demean my intelligence." I say coldly.

Hiraku immediately stops in her tracks and turns around to face me once more, the expression on her face that of complete shock.

"I have _never_ been spoken back to by anyone, much less by a subordinate!"

"And I have never been spoken to or _allowed_ anyone to speak to me the way you just did regardless of whether or not they are my superior. I don't intend to start now either." I tell Hiraku, my resolve set. If only Kakashi could see me now - he'd owe me another kimono!

"I could have you pulled from this mission so quick-" Hiraku threatens.

"And I could go straight to Madam Shijimi and tell her what her daughter's been up to with a certain stable boy." I shoot back at her.

"How did you-" Hiraku asks in surprise.

"Like a shark." I say tapping the tip of my nose and smiling at her.

"What?" Hiraku asks confused.

"Never mind." I say a little crestfallen. "But I _will_ go to Madam Shijimi if you leave me no other choice."

Hiraku glares at me again.

"You wouldn't! That's blackmail!"

"And you're entering into a marriage under false pretenses!"

"It's called politics, Sakura-san! Lots of things happen under false pretenses!"

_"So are you here to try and stop Hiraku's upcoming marriage, too?" Shinri asks as he steps out of the stables sans Aseri._

_"I guess that means Hiraku-hime has spoken to you about Sakura then?"_

_"The pink-haired woman? Yeah. Actually, it was more like Hiraku had an angry fit about her." Shinri says with a wistful grin._

_"Sakura's got quite a temper herself." Kakashi says, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly._

_"Ah, so you too, huh? So tell me, how'd we ever get involved with two strong-headed women like them anyway?" Shinri asks with a shake of his head._

_"I think that's part of their appeal - knowing that they could kick our asses anytime if they wanted to." Kakashi says in all seriousness._

I'd have burst out laughing if I wasn't so riled up.

"So is _that_ how you plan on ruling your country in the future, Hiraku-hime? Through lies?"

"The world isn't black and white, Sakura-san. It's full of grays and sometimes you have to step into those gray areas to get something done."

"You're right, Hiraku-hime. The world isn't black and white and neither is your upcoming marriage for that matter. There are other ways of forming diplomatic bonds with Wind Country or are you just using this marriage as an excuse?"

"An excuse for what?" Hiraku asks in a high-pitched, disbelieving voice.

"Oh, I don't know, telling your father that you've fallen for someone he'll probably think is beneath you?"

I see a hint of panic seep into Hiraku's impenetrable glare and I know that I got it exactly right.

"I knew it." I say softly.

"You don't know anything." Hiraku says sulkily.

"I know what it's like to be in love with the 'wrong' person. I know the stress and worry and conflict that goes on inside your head when you're not sure if the person you look up to will approve of the person you're in love with. You may not like me very much, Hiraku-hime, but I'm the best thing going for you right now because I've been through what you're going through and I can talk you through it. You don't have to go through it alone."

It may have been just my imagination, but I could've sworn I just saw Hiraku's expression and demeanor soften up a bit.

_"Really?"_

_"Well, yeah. There's just something about a woman who knows how to carry herself with confidence, intelligence, and dignity. Hiraku and Sakura may be a handful, but to be honest, I'd rather be with someone with a good head on her shoulders than with an airheaded bimbo, wouldn't you?" Kakashi asks Shinri._

_"I couldn't agree with you more." Shinri laughs._

_Kakashi smiles beneath his mask - 'Maybe this isn't going to be so hard after all...'_

"Who died and made you the love expert?" Hiraku spits back.

Okay, maybe not.

I feel my fists clench, my teeth grind, and my eyebrows furrow in anger.

'Calm down, Sakura. Remember what Kakashi said. She's just going through a rough patch is all. Take a deep breath. See things the way she sees them. Try to understand _why_ she's upset.'

"I'm sorry that it feels like the weight of the world is on your shoulders, Hiraku-hime - trying to do right by everybody but yourself. And I'm sorry that it seems like I'm only making things harder for you, but I promise you that that's not my intention at all. And I'm not claiming to be a love expert. I'm not claiming to be any such thing. I'm just saying that our situations aren't that different and because of that, I'm going to try to help you anyway that I can. That's it. That's all I'm trying to do."

This time there's no mistaking it, Hiraku's demeanor has definitely changed. Instead of glaring at me with all the anger and harshness she can muster, she now only looks at me wearily, as if she can no longer hold up her fierce facade.

"Fine, Sakura-san. You want to talk, let's talk, but not here."

_"You don't know how relieved I am to hear that!" Kakashi says with a big sigh of relief._

_"You are?"_

_"Well, yes, because I was afraid that I was going to have a difficult time talking to you the way Sakura is with Hiraku-hime."_

_"Oh, you don't have to worry about that. Hiraku and I are complete opposites. I'm actually pretty easy-going." Shinri smiles reassuringly._

_"Hmm, that's interesting..." Kakashi muses, looking down at Shinri appraisingly with one half-hooded eye while scratching the bottom of his chin in deep thought._

_"Geez, don't sound so skeptical, Kakashi-san!" Shinri laughs, raising an eyebrow up at the older man._

_"Oh, no, it's not that! It's just that Sakura and I are the same way - complete opposites."_

_"Well, you know what they say, 'Opposites attract'." Shinri says with a shrug of his shoulders._

_"Actually, I think there's more to it than that."_

_"Really? Like what?" Shinri asks in great interest._

_"Well..."_

"Where are you taking me?" Hiraku asks looking around her perplexed.

"Some place where we can talk safe and alone." I answer.

My heart sinks a little, though, when I see that Yamato and Naruto are having a pleasant conversation on the front steps of the house that's been designated Team Kakashi's. I'm already planning to tell them to leave for a bit when Yamato, upon seeing our approach, quickly stands up and greets Hiraku and me with a polite and respectful "Good evening, ladies."

After a full minute of Naruto not taking the hint that he should probably do the same and continuing to grin foolishly up at us instead, Yamato gives him "the scary face" and nods his head not so subtly towards us, making Naruto jump up in the air and give us a sheepish "Uh, hey there Sakura-chan, Hiraku-hime."

Hiraku answers with a polite, albeit formal, bow of acknowledgment while I try not to glare at Naruto for being a moron.

"Evening." I say through clenched teeth. "Listen, if it's not much of a bother I was wondering if-"

"Oh, Sakura-chan, you won't believe what Yamato just did for you and Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto interrupts me.

I'm set to reprimand him for being so rude, but he looks so excited, like he's about to burst that I can't help but ask, "What are you talking about? What is he talking about?" I look at Yamato confused.

"Well, it was _supposed_ to be a surprise, but with him around..." Yamato jerks his head at the jerk practically jumping up and down next to him, "You can't really keep a secret, so let me just show you."

Both of our curiosities peaked, Hiraku and I follow Yamato towards the back of the house with Naruto enthusiastically leading the way.

It takes me a few seconds to comprehend what I'm looking at, but once I'm sure it's really there and not just a genjutsu...

"Oh my God." I say, covering my mouth in disbelief.

Because silhouetted against the moonlight, a warm glow of lamplight pulsating through its open windows, is a small but sturdy one-story wooden house.

A house. Yamato built Kakashi and me our very own house.

"Oh, Yamato-teichou..."

"You're welcome." Yamato cuts in before I can say anything else.

"But you really didn't have to! You've spent so much chakra already building all those other houses and Kaka-sensei and I could've easily just shared-"

"No, you guys couldn't have." Naruto shakes his head adamantly.

"Naruto...what did you tell Yamato-teichou?" I ask, my tone and temper already rising.

"I didn't tell him anything! I swear!" Naruto says, his hands raised up in front of him in innocence, taking a step backwards for every step I take towards him.

"He's telling the truth, Sakura." Yamato says gently. "I just figured that you and Kakashi-senpai could use a little place of your own now."

Halting my threatening advance towards Naruto (who I hear give an audible sigh of relief) I turn towards Yamato instead and give him a truly grateful hug.

"Thank you, Yamato-teichou. I've never had my own house before! I don't think that Kaka-sensei has either with both of us always living in apartments."

"Like I said, you're welcome, but where is Kakashi-senpai anyway? I had really been hoping to show this to both of you at the same time."

I'm about to tell him about Shinri when I catch Hiraku looking at me expectantly as well.

"He's...taking care of some business." I answer evasively.

A subtle look of understanding in Yamato's eyes lets me know he understands I'm trying not to say too much in front of Hiraku, but-

"Business? What business?" Naruto asks skeptically. "He didn't say anything about any busi-"

"Number one, okay! Maybe even number two considering how long he's taking!"

Yamato, Hiraku, and Naruto all look at me in shock at my little outburst and I immediately feel my face start to burn in embarrassment. _Where the hell did that come from?_

"Geez, sorry I asked." Naruto mumbles.

I shoot Naruto a pissed off glare and have a mind to smack him for making me utter such nonsense when Yamato grabs the oblivious idiot by the elbow and leads him away back towards the main house.

"Uh, well, I guess now's a good time to say goodnight Sakura-chan, Hiraku-hime." Yamato says over his shoulder.

"Goodnight." We say in unison. We continue to watch them until they start to round the corner of the main house.

"Alright already!" Naruto says, shaking Yamato off of him.

"Naruto, hasn't anyone ever taught you when to shut up?" Yamato asks.

"No, why?"

"Consider that our next lesson then when we get back to Konoha."

"What is it with everyone trying to teach me lessons!" Naruto asks hysterically before we hear the door shut behind him, muffling whatever else he's saying.

"You have weird friends." Hiraku says quietly.

"Yup." Is all I can say.

_"...I think it's a balance thing." Kakashi says thoughtfully. "If you have two short-tempered people together, it's bound to be a mess."_

_"Like Hiraku and Sakura." Shinri interjects._

_"Exactly. But if one is willing to bend to the other..."_

_"Then it's a perfect pairing."_

_"Well, nothing's perfect, but yes, it comes pretty close to it." Kakashi gives Shinri a happy eye crease._

_"So that's what you're getting at - that I shouldn't let Hiraku go because we're an 'almost perfect' couple."_

_"I think you shouldn't let her go if you truly love her."_

_"I do, but that's exactly_ **why** _I'm letting her go."_

_Kakashi looks at Shinri wearily - 'Maybe this isn't going to be so easy after all.'_

"It was supposed to be so easy." Hiraku tells me as we take a place on either side of the oil lamp burning in the middle of the otherwise empty room. "Before, everything was so clear. Everybody had their place and their duties and I had mine, but now I don't even know what I'm doing anymore."

And for the first time since I met her, I now see Hiraku for who she really is, what Kakashi had said she was all along. Not a high and mighty brat. Not even a pain in my ass. For the first time, I see before me someone who's just trying to make sense of it all like everyone else, someone I can relate to.

"Nothing is ever easy, Hiraku-hime. Nothing worth living for anyway. And nobody ever really knows what they're doing. Some people are just better at hiding that fact than others." I smile comfortingly at her.

And again, another first - Hiraku gives me a small smile back.

_"It wasn't her idea."_

_"I'm sorry?" Kakashi asks confused._

_"Going forward with the marriage. It wasn't Hiraku's idea, it was mine. I mean, look at me Kakashi-san, dressed in servant's robes and smelling of stock animals. Hiraku doesn't deserve someone like me. She deserves someone better. Her fiance can offer her everything, I can offer her nothing."_

_"And since when did loving someone account for nothing?" Kakashi asks in shock._

_"You put too much stock in love, Kakashi-san. In real life, love isn't the answer to all of life's problems. If anything, it's the cause of them."_

_Behind his mask, Kakashi's jaw drops - 'I thought he said he was easy-going...'_

"Okay. So let's say I do what you tell me to...hypothetically. I go to my parents, tell them that I'm in love with someone else, call the marriage off, and then what? Live happily ever after? The real world doesn't work like that, Sakura-san."

"Well, no, of course it doesn't. To tell you the truth, your parents are probably going to be really disappointed and angry with you, as is the man you were supposed to marry, everyone is going to wonder what the hell you were thinking giving up a rich fiance for a poor stable boy, and life is most likely going to be a living hell for you and Shinri for awhile."

"Right...and how exactly is this supposed to convince me to call off the marriage again?" Hiraku asks me with a raised eyebrow.

_"Fine, Shinri-san. You're right. Love isn't the answer to all of life's problems, and you know what? You're even right about it being the cause for most of them. Broken hearts, jealousy, even war - all because of love. Unrequited love. Misplaced love. Forbidden love. It seems like everyone talks about it, longs for it, and for what? Something that is overrated and overexaggerated anyway? So why go through all the trouble?"_

"Because in the end, it's worth it. When you're old and gray and on your deathbed, Hiraku-hime, what do you think you'll regret more? Having followed your heart, or having not?"

_"I'm not a coward. I'm not taking the easy way out, Kakashi-san. If anything, letting Hiraku go is the hardest thing for me to do. But I think I'll regret it even more if her life gets ruined all because of me."_

"But, Sakura-san, it's so easy to say 'follow your heart,' but what if my heart is wrong? I have to listen to my head, too, you know? Emotions can get away from you and fog your mind, but your brain will always keep you grounded."

_"And you don't think you'll ruin Hiraku-hime's life by no longer being a part of it?"_

"And what if your heart knows something that your head doesn't, Hiraku-hime?"

_Silence._

Silence.

_"You're trying so hard to protect her by not being with her, Shinri-san."_

"I don't blame you for being cautious, Hiraku-hime, because, yes, love can make you blind."

_"But let me tell you something-"_

"I had my heart badly broken for that very same reason."

_"I used to be part of another team when I was younger."_

"I told a boy once that I loved him more than anything, that I'd do anything for him."

_"And they all left me behind."_

"I _begged_ him not to leave me."

_"Each and every one of them died, being exactly what you're trying to be - a martyr."_

"He turned his back on my words, on me, our entire village."

_"They saved everyone except themselves."_

"He followed his rage, not his heart."

_"And they left me alone."_

"And he left me alone."

_"So I decided to build walls."_

"So I decided to make myself stronger."

_"I lost them because I let myself love them."_

"I lost him because I was weak."

_"But I couldn't lose another person if I never let them in."_

"But I couldn't lose him again if I was stronger."

_"But I let people in anyway."_

"But I lost him again anyway."

_"I thought I knew better."_

"I couldn't understand it."

_"But people have a way of working their way into your heart."_

"I'd given up hope, but then something unexpected happened."

_"And I fell in love."_

"I fell in love again."

_"With someone that I shouldn't have."_

"With someone I never even considered."

_"So I tried to fight it, like you."_

"Because, like you, I fell for someone outside of the norm."

_"Anything that would happen between us would only ruin us both."_

"You're not supposed to fall in love with someone outside of your age, your race, your social standing - anything that society deems 'normal'."

_"But you can't help who you fall in love with."_

"But then all the 'normal' relationships don't necessarily work out."

_"I_ **see** _something in Sakura I haven't seen in anybody else."_

"People get divorced, stay in relationships in which they're abused..."

_"I get along with her in a way I don't with any other person."_

"And even though I'm not in a 'normal' relationship, I can't see Kakashi ever hurting me. I can't see my life without him in it."

_"I always want to be there for her, comfort her, never see her get hurt."_

"Do you know how _rare_ that is?"

_"Six billion people in the world and it's this_ **one** _pink-haired, green-eyed woman who makes me feel that way."_

"To be able to say that about someone and mean it?"

_"Don't get me wrong, I'm not claiming that Sakura is perfect."_

"I'm not saying that Kakashi is perfect."

_"Her temper alone can scare most men, women, and children - even animals - away."_

"He can be so frustratingly lazy, he's late to _everything,_ he reads porn out in public, and when I was younger he completely passed me over to train the boys instead-"

_"But in spite of that-"_

"But in spite of all his faults-"

_"We work."_

"Somehow we work."

_"Because while others might find Sakura's strong personality and fists intimidating-"_

"Because while others might find Kakashi inaccessible with his cool indifference-"

_"It's those very traits about her that make me see her as an equal."_

"It's his calm and patient maturity that levels out my hot-blooded temper."

_"Because don't you see? Even though we may not be other people's ideal..."_

"...we happen to be each other's."

_"That's why I can't let her go."_

"That's why I can't let him go."

_"Even with people saying that I'm robbing the cradle."_

"Even with people saying that he's old enough to be my father."

_"I don't care."_

"I just don't care."

_"Let them try to tear us apart-"_

"Let them badmouth us all they want-"

_"Because I'm planning to be with Sakura for as long as she'll have me."_

"Because those people are in my life only for a little while, while Kakashi will be in it always."

_"Yes, love may not be the answer to everything-"_

"Yes, I know that a million things could go wrong and we just might not last forever-"

"_But it doesn't make love any less valuable."_

"But it doesn't mean that what we have isn't worth fighting for 'til the very end."

_"So all I'm saying is-"_

"Fight to stay with Shinri."

_"Fight for Hiraku-hime."_

"Against all odds you fell for each other when you thought you never would-"

_"Six billion people in the world and somehow you found love in each other."_

"...Don't you think that maybe fate is trying to tell you something?"

_"But I am fighting for Hiraku, Kakashi-san...I'm fighting to keep her reputation intact."_

"But I'm not you, Sakura-san. I **do** have to care about what people think and say about me. What kind of leader would I be if I didn't?"

_"I'm sorry, but I love Hiraku too much to let her settle for less than the best and I know that I'm just not it."_

"I'm sorry, Sakura-san. I really am, but my mind is made up."

_"Thank you, Kakashi-san, for doing what you were trying to do, but I'm afraid I'll have to stand my ground on this. I'll see you on the journey tomorrow, okay?"_

"It's getting late, Sakura-san. Can you please just walk me home now?"

_"Alright."_

"Alright."

* * *

"Are you alright?" Kakashi asks gently as I crawl into the bedroll already warm from his body heat. Wrapping his arms around me and spooning me, he effectively takes away more of the night-air chill running through my body after walking Hiraku back to her house.

"I couldn't get through to Hiraku-hime." I admit to him in defeat.

"I couldn't get through to Shinri-san either." Kakashi murmurs softly in my ear.

"I just don't get it, Kakashi. How could two people who love each other not fight to be with each other? That is simply _beyond_ me."

"The thing is, Sakura, they _are_ fighting for each other, just not in the way that we'd like."

"What use is fighting for love if you can't be together in the end?"

"I know it's hard to understand, but sometimes it's enough just to know that the one you love is somewhere safe and happy and well taken care of. Just look at all the people we've lost up to this point - giving up their lives just to make sure that _our_ futures, at least, will be better."

"Don't you get tired, Kakashi? Tired of spewing out that ninja ideal just to make our losses seem more bearable?"

"Well, for the longest time that ideal was the only thing that kept me going. I had to tell myself _something_ standing in front of the memorial stone day after day. But yes. At some point, I did get tired of it. At some point, it lost its meaning and became nothing but empty words."

"Then why repeat it to me now? Why tell me something that even you don't seem to believe in anymore?"

"Because Hiraku and Shinri believe in it. If you want to truly understand what they're doing and why, it all comes down to that one belief."

"And you? What do you believe in now, Kaka-sensei?"

"I still believe that its honorable and courageous to fight and die for those you love, but if you want those you love to be _truly_ happy, then fight and _live_ and be _with_ them instead." Kakashi says, holding me tighter and closer than ever before.

"Now why didn't we just tell them that in the first place?" I ask Kakashi, looking at him over my shoulder.

"Because it's late, we're all drained, and there's always tomorrow. Besides, don't you have a promise to keep?"

"You remember that?!"

"I'm a guy, Sakura. Of course I remember that."

"But I thought you just said you were drained!"

"Sakura, I'm never too drained for _that."_

"Of all the people in the world, I get the perviest one of them all."

"One in six billion, Sakura..."

"And you just happen to be my 'one'."

"Do you regret it?"

"One in six billion, Kakashi, and _I'm_ the one who gets to have you. Fangirls and boys around the world are dying of envy, so what do you think?"

"I think we're about to put this house Yamato built for us to good use."

"You know what? I think you just might be right..."

And the room goes dark as Kakashi blows out our lamplight.

To be continued...

* * *

At this moment, there are six billion,

Four-hundred seventy million,

Eight-hundred eighteen thousand,

Six-hundred seventy-one people in the world...

Six billion people in the world,

Six billion souls,

And sometimes..

All you need is ONE.

* * *

I've never seen "One Tree Hill," but that's where this quote came from (_youtube(period)com/watch?v(equals)YQgYloaGhWk_) - I ran across it while doing a little research for this chapter. And here's what it look likes numerically: 6,470,818,671. Kind of humbling, don't you think?

* * *


	30. 1st Time Innocent Kiss Not So Innocent

Disclaimer: I do not own "Naruto." If I did, more of the following would be happening.

Thank you to everyone who's reviewed, faved, and alerted. It really cheers me up. : )

This chapter is dedicated to wickedone43 on AFF because she asked me to _please_ update on that site. Sorry about taking so long! It's just that when I think AFF, I think "lemon" so I don't want to update there until there is one, and since lemons are far and few between for this particular story...you get the idea.

Anyway...

WARNING: Rated M for Lemon.

* * *

**Chapter 30-The First Time An Innocent Kiss Becomes More Than Just An Innocent Kiss**

* * *

It would be so easy to say "Not tonight. It's been a really long day and I'm tired," but it's just as easy to forget how exhausted you are when the back of your neck is being lovingly nuzzled and rained on by kisses, making you feel both slightly tickled and slightly aroused. With each unmasked kiss from Kakashi, an involuntary whimper escapes from me and I reflexively start rubbing my legs together. I can hear Kakashi snickering behind me, undoubtedly feeling smug again. The damn baka! It's not like I'm doing any of this on purpose! It's like my body has a mind of its own, forcing me to make weird noises and kick my feet like Pakkun getting his belly rubbed. Because that's exactly what it comes down to - what Kakashi's doing, as innocent as it may be, is making me feel so...

Whimper. Kick.

Snicker.

"_Stop_ laughing at me, Kakashi!"

"Well I just don't get it. Are you tickled or are you turned on?"

"Both."

"Do you want me to stop?"

"_NO!_ Just...don't laugh at me, okay? I can't help it!"

"'Kay." Kakashi murmurs into my hair, moving his tickling kisses down the nape of my neck, down between my shoulder blades, and up the curve of my shoulder with me whimpering and rubbing my legs together the whole time. I could spend all night with him kissing me just like this, but inevitably his kisses are getting hungrier and my whimpers are turning into soft moans.

Tilting my chin up with his index finger and thumb, Kakashi hovers over me with smiling eyes that I'm already used to and exposed smiling lips that I'm not. It's fulfilling...to see the complete picture of Kakashi's smiling face. The corners of my own mouth quirk up into a smile to match his own before he slowly lowers himself down, lightly pressing his lips onto mine in a soft, lingering kiss.

Whimper.

Kick.

Snicker.

"I said _don't laugh at me!_"

"What? I can't help it either! It's kind of an ego boost, knowing that just _kissing_ you makes you squirm like this!"

"It's just a reflex, Kakashi."

"Yeah, but if someone you didn't like was doing the same thing, I'm sure he'd be getting a different reflex altogether - something involving a black eye or worse."

I can only look back up at him in silent shock.

He's right. If I didn't feel the same way about him, I'd never...

"See? Ego boost." Kakashi says, smiling brightly down at me.

"Says the world's most available bachelor."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Kakashi asks, pulling away from me.

I turn around onto my back so that I can look him directly in the eye.

"C'mon, Kakashi. Everybody has wondered if you'd ever show interest in someone outside of those books you read. On top of that, you're Hatake Kakashi the famous Copy Nin. Don't you think _I'd_ be the one to feel a little bit flattered?"

"Wait, people actually wondered that about me?"

"Well, yeah..."

"And they think that I'm some sort of celebrity?"

"Duh..."

"And you see me that way, too?"

"Kakashi, we may be close but it's kind of hard to forget who you are. The minute you start kicking ass on the battlefield, you instantly remind us all of just how amazing you are."

"You think I'm amazing?" Kakashi smirks down at me.

"There you go being all smug again."

"You think I'm amazing." Kakashi says amused.

"I've always said that you're amazing."

"Not to _me_ you haven't!"

"Well, I'm telling you now, okay? Kaka-sensei, you're amazing."

"Why, Sakura, you're gonna make me blush."

"Among other things."

Now Kakashi's _really_ blushing.

"It was already like tha-"

"I know-"

"And then you just had to start flattering me and then it just got even more-"

"I know. I can _feel_ that Kakashi."

"I'm not just amazing on the battlefield, you know?" he smiles mischievously down at me.

"I know that, too, but do you mind reminding me anyway?" I smirk right back up at him.

Taking it as his cue, he lowers himself back down, this time sprinkling kisses down the front of my neck, moving slowly towards my sternum, bringing the zipper of my red sleeveless shirt down with him. And with each inch of flesh he exposes comes another tender, loving kiss.

"Breath's getting kinda ragged there, Sakura." Kakashi says with a smirk, bringing my zipper down another inch and gently kissing the rapidly rising and falling dip between the cups of my bra.

I respond with wordless heavy breathing.

"In fact, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were hyperventilating..."

The zipper slowly goes down another couple of inches, exposing skin just below my bra-line which he promptly sprinkles with kisses.

"We should really do something about that..."

The zipper comes down the last few inches, leaving my shirt completely split in two. He plants a kiss on my now fully exposed stomach, dipping his hot, wet tongue into my bellybutton...

"Ah!"

"And now you're screaming for no reason." Kakashi shakes his head in mock sympathy for me.

"_Kakashi_..." I glare at him.

At my warning tone, he lifts his head up and our eyes meet. For a full minute we stare at each other in a standoff, his lips still inches from my bellybutton. I know he's contemplating it - whether or not to tickle me with another raspberry like last time.

"So help me, Kakashi, if you-"

"CPR. That's what you need." Kakashi says decisively and in a flash, he's moved back up my body and is effectively shutting me up with a full-blown, open-mouthed kiss.

I gasp after he finally lets me go.

"See? Now you're breathing again." Kakashi smiles triumphantly down at me.

"Kakashi, you're unbelievable!" I say irately.

"You're giving me too much credit, Sakura. I haven't _done_ anything to you yet. Now if you want to give me praise, praise me for this..."

His eyes slowly slip shut, as do mine, as a warm kiss lands softly on my cheek...

My temple...

My eyelid...

The bottom of my chin...

And the corner of my mouth...

Before finally landing on...

My lips.

Our kiss is chaste and unhurried, savoring the taste and feel of each other, against each other. It may not be the hungriest of kisses, but it's definitely one of the most loving.

He only lets me go after my lungs are starting to burn from lack of air, before moving his lips close to my ear and whispering hotly into it "And this..."

From my ear, he trails light kisses down my jawline, down the column of my throat, taking a slight detour to suck hungrily on the side of my neck. As his lips continue moving slowly downwards, his hands slowly move upwards, trailing up the outside of my thighs, my hips, my sides, until...

Both his hands and lips converge onto one spot.

At first he's gently kneading them, simply taking in the size and feel of them against his palms. And then, he's licking the plump flesh over the top edges of my bra, following their roundness with the flat of his tongue. Then, just as quickly, something's changed. He's quickly pulling down my bra beneath my breasts, squeezing the now exposed mounds to make them pucker out even more, and lavishing his tongue against one hardened nipple and then the other.

One hand continues to massage my breast while the other moves back down my leg, but this time he's under my skirt, sliding his hand upwards along the inside rather than the outside of my thigh. When he reaches the juncture between my legs, his hand roughly cups me against the thin cloth of my shorts and panties, rubbing the ball of his hand against the dampness already seeping through. I instinctively buck against him, pressing him harder against me, urging him on.

When he reaches my waistband, he tugs insistently down on it, bringing my shorts and panties down to my knees and ankles until they're completely off, leaving me naked except for my split open shirt, tugged down bra, and the other piece of clothing that, for whatever reason, he's decided to let me keep on...my skirt.

Then his head and lips are moving down again, or should I say up?

Starting from my knee, he kisses up along the inside of my leg, taking his slow, sweet time to reach the destination he and I both know he's ultimately after. Slowly moving up and up, I lose him as he disappears beneath my skirt. But there's no mistaking what he's doing down there. I let out a low moan as the tip of his tongue gently strokes against my already hypersensitive clit, moving against it with slow up and down flicks. I'm barely getting used to the feel of it when his lips clamp down around it and he starts stroking it hard and deep with the flat of his tongue. Whereas earlier I was whimpering and rubbing my legs together in arousal, now I'm loudly moaning and fisting my hands into the blankets beneath me, trying to hold onto something for all the intense feelings he's making me feel.

Again, as if I have no control over my own body, I hear myself quickly chanting his name. It's to tell him to stop, it's too much. It's to tell him to keep going, it feels so good. But mostly it's to tell him that I need him..._now._

Whether he read my mind or he's quickly losing patience himself, Kakashi crawls out from under my skirt, scrambles for his backpack, and digs his hand into it.

And so the ritual goes.

Truth be told, I like the ritual. It gives me a moment to step back and realize what we're about to do, what I'm about to _let him do_ to me. I like watching him hold himself in his hand and roll the condom down him inch by inch. I like waiting for him, my legs spread wide apart in eager anticipation of him and _only him._ I like it when he finally repositions himself between my legs, brings his tip to my opening, touches it against my outer lips, my clit, and...

"Mmm..." we both moan in unison.

Finally.

For a few seconds we lay together unmoving. It's enough simply to be joined, but that feeling doesn't last very long. I need more than him just filling up the emptiness. He needs more than just me squeezed tightly around him. We need movement. We need _friction._

I don't have to say a word. He just knows. Our bodies know.

Slowly, he pulls himself out, halfway out. And slowly he slides himself back in. I wrap my legs tightly around his waist to pull him in deeper and closer. He's allowed to slip out of me, but he sure as hell better bring himself back in!

And soon we have a rhythm. One that's languid and lazy, but less and less so. We need friction.

I release my legs from around his waist and bring my knees up to my chest, as high as I can get them. He sinks deeper inside of me.

He adds a swirl to his thrust and I let out a moan. He latches onto a nipple and suckles it while he thrusts, I let out another impassioned moan. He puts a hand on either side of my head for better leverage and starts pumping into me like there's no tomorrow, I scream to God and to him and shut my eyes tightly shut, trying to endure the intensity of it all.

Now his thrusts are no longer rhythmic, but erratic. His eyes no longer look down at me in triumph and lust. Instead, they are squeezed tightly shut in concentration. He is no longer calm and collected, the Hatake Kakashi I know. Now he is simply without self-control and he's actually breaking into a sweat. He's getting close.

I concentrate on the tension building up inside of me as well, trying to bring myself to the edge along with him. I focus on the heat the friction is creating inside of me. I focus on how that heat is spreading throughout my body, all the way down to my toes. I focus on the way his body keeps pushing forcefully against me and into me. I focus on my heart starting to pound in my chest and how my breath is starting to shorten. I feel a tingling from deep within and then that's it - I just can't hold it anymore. Taking in a few last short breaths, I then hold my breath and arch my back as wave upon wave of intense pleasure overwhelms my body and all my senses. And Kakashi is still pumping himself desperately into me. He's too close himself now to stop, so even though I'm barely over my first orgasm, I feel another one building up right behind it with each hard thrust he slams into me. My breathing is shortening again when I hear the shortening of his own, and then, at the same time I feel myself clamping down hard around him for a second time, he thrusts himself as hard and deep inside of me as he can, holds himself deep within me, and groans his release into my ear.

Breathless and spent, Kakashi gives us both a minute to recover, then rolls off of me, falling exhaustedly next to me on the bedroll, but not before pulling me into his embrace so that his bare chest is now my pillow.

"_Now_ you can praise me." Kakashi manages to say between pants.

I burst out laughing then tell him exactly what he wants to hear.

"Kakashi, you're unbelievable." I smile up at him.

A smug smile spreads across his lips and remains there even after he kisses my hand, places it on top of his heart, and immediately starts to snore in deep sleep.

"You really are unbelievable." I murmur lovingly up at him, then snuggle my cheek deeper into his chest, let my own exhaustion take over me, and fall into blissful, contented sleep with a smile plastered upon my own face.

To be continued...


	31. 1st Time Kaka Promises To Make A Home

Disclaimer: I do not own "Naruto."

Thank you to everyone who reviewed, faved, and alerted. A little encouragement goes a long way.

Just a warning that this is a short chapter. It's transitioning into something bigger and I want to be able to take my time with that, so...enjoy?

And I admit that the first two sentences are a variation of what Locke says about Ben on "LOST," but everything else is all me. : )

* * *

**Chapter 31-The First Time Kakashi Promises To Make A House A Home With Her**

* * *

"You're on time?! But you're _never_ on time! What happened to you?!" Naruto asks in a voice way too loud and way too obnoxious for first thing in the morning.

"She did." Kakashi answers simply, pointing an accusing finger at me.

Naruto and Yamato turn their heads to look at me in shock.

"What?" I ask.

"It's just that no one has ever succeeded in getting Kakashi-sempai to show up for _anything_ on time. What exactly did you do?" Yamato asks bewildered.

I immediately feel my face heat up.

"Nothing! I just made him get up earlier is all."

"Ah, but you didn't say _how._" Kakashi interjects with a happy eye crease and what I'm sure is a wide grin beneath his mask.

I look at him horrified and catch an equally shocked look of understanding on Yamato's face, but Naruto-

"No, how?" the oblivious idiot asks cheekily.

Before I can answer, Kakashi covers his mouth with his hand and starts whispering into Naruto's ear.

"Ew! I didn't need to know that you perv!" Naruto shouts, jumping away from Kakashi and giving him a dirty look.

"You asked." Kakashi says with another happy eye crease and an innocent shrug of his shoulders.

"I thought you were going to teach me when to shut up!" Naruto shouts accusingly at Yamato.

"Yes, when we get back to Konoha. But if you insist, I'll teach you now...Think before you speak."

"If he did that, I think his head would explode." I reply sarcastically.

For a moment Naruto forgets that I'm neither Sai nor Sasuke and glares angrily at me.

So I glare right back at him.

Naruto immediately remembers who he's up against, says "Hahaha! Good one, Sakura-chan!" with a nervous laugh, then quickly turns around to run the hell away from me.

It takes all of my self-control to keep from yelling "You better run!" at him.

Don't get me wrong, I love Naruto, I really do. After all, he's the brother - whose ass I can kick - that I never had. He just needs to be reminded every now and then who's boss.

I'm still wearing a smug smile on my face when I catch Kakashi and Yamato looking at me wide-eyed.

"What?" I ask again.

"Honestly, Sakura, you scare me sometimes." Kakashi says quietly while behind him Yamato merely nods his head in agreement.

I march up to Kakashi and I see his one exposed eye widen even more, probably trying to decide whether to run away from me just like Naruto. When I'm inches from his face, I ask "Are you really scared of me, sensei?" in a lighthearted tone, playfully pushing on his chest.

Kakashi's only reply is "Ahahaha!," a happy eye crease, and nervous scratching of the back of his neck.

Pleased by his reaction, I quickly grab him by the vest, bring him down to my height, and whisper "Good," the warmth of my breath hot against his masked nose and lips. Then I release him, slowly back away, and smile brightly and innocently up at him once more.

Kakashi swallows hard while sweating profusely and Yamato pretty much does the same thing behind him.

"Right...Anyway..." Yamato clears his throat, "I'd better put things back the way we found them so that we can get a move on."

To both Kakashi's and my disappointment, we watch as Yamato claps his hands together and makes the first house we ever shared together disappear back into the ground as quickly as it had sprouted out from it.

I let out a sad sigh.

I feel Kakashi move near me, take my hand into his, and say "Don't worry...Someday we'll have one that's ours permanently."

I turn around to look up at him in shock, the weight of what he's saying hitting me all at once.

"You heard me." He says, his eye creasing down at me once more. Then his hand is on my back as he leads me away so that Yamato can finish "putting things away."

I don't see where I'm going and don't really feel my feet on the ground because Kakashi all but said he wanted to spend the rest of his life with me.

Sure I can walk on water, but now I'm walking on...well, you know, something cheesy like that.

To be continued...


	32. 1st Time Kakashi Discovers He's A Father

Disclaimer: I do not own "Naruto."

Thank you to everyone who was nice enough to review, fave, and alert this story. You know who you are. : )

This chapter is dedicated to CrystallineEssence on Deviant Art because I was thinking specifically about the conversation we had about the men we love and what it's like to have them fight for us when I wrote this chapter. Guys, I'm not telling you to pick a fight just to look macho in front of your girl because that isn't cool either. That's just violent. I'm just saying that if the moment ever comes to let a girl go or fight for her, if you truly love her...Fight. For. Her.

* * *

**Chapter 32-The First Time Kakashi Discovers He's A Father**

* * *

The scenery is quickly changing. Trees are getting sparcer and further spread apart. River water that once roared and flowed in abundance has quieted down to nothing more than a harmless bubbling stream. Even the sun, once pleasant this cool January day, has now become a nuisance, bearing hotly down on us and forcing us to take layers of clothing off. The desert is coming and soon it will be too late. Once we hit sand, the horses will be sent back to the daimyo's castle and traded off for Wind Country camels, and no more horses means no more stable boy, and no more stable boy means...

"Sakura, are you alright? If the heat is getting to you we can stop."

"I'm fine, Kakashi. I'm just worried because we're running out of time."

"Do you want to speak to Hiraku again?"

"No, Shinri."

Kakashi raises his eyebrow at me.

"You've told him what it's like to fight for someone, Kakashi, now I need to tell him what it's like to be fought _for._"

"I see." Kakashi says, the look in his eye softening. "How can I help?"

"Is there a way you can get me alone with him?"

He's silent for a moment, contemplating. Then I see him smirk, or at least I assume he's smirking beneath his mask.

"What are you smirking at?"

"Damsel in distress."

"I am not!"

"No, Sakura. That's how we'll get you alone with Shinri so that you can talk to him. You need to play the damsel in distress."

"Kakashi, just because I'm a girl doesn't mean-"

"I know it's not the ideal way of doing it, Sakura, but it's the best I can do right now. Now do you want to talk to him or not?"

"Yes, but-"

"Then it's settled." Kakashi says, quickly scooping me up in his arms without warning.

"What the hell are you doing?!" I scream as he starts slowly walking towards the back of the convoy, carrying me in his arms bridal style.

We pass Naruto and I catch him looking at us startled and confused. I see him start to open his mouth, but Yamato quickly shakes his head at him. Remembering his "lesson" from earlier, Naruto promptly shuts his mouth and is rewarded with a "Good boy" by Yamato. The last I see of Naruto, he's silently smiling and looking quite pleased with himself.

I turn my attention back to Kakashi.

"You son of a-"

"Shinri-san! Can you give me a hand here?"

"Sure, Kakashi-san. What happened?" Shinri asks, quickly making his way over to us.

"It's Sakura, she's not feeling too well. I was wondering if you wouldn't mind riding with her on horseback for a bit. It's best to keep her off her feet and since I don't want her to suddenly feel woozy and fall off-"

"Oh, yes, of course!"

Wordlessly, I let the two men help me up on a horse with Shinri jumping up right behind me to take the reins.

"Thank you, Shinri-san."

"No problem, Kakashi-san." Shinri says with a friendly smile.

Timing it so that Shinri doesn't see, Kakashi gives me a wink, or what I assume to be a wink. Or maybe it was just a blink...The baka needs to just show his face in public so that I can stop "assuming"!

"You okay, Sakura-san?" Shinri asks gently, not giving me a chance to either glare or smile back at Kakashi. I hadn't really decided which he deserved more yet.

"I'm fine. I've just been feeling a little sick this morning."

Shinri says nothing and I'm beginning to wonder why when it dawns on me what I just said sounded like.

"Oh, no! Shinri, I'm not preg-"

But before I can finish, Hiraku approaches us on her own horse.

"Sakura-san, are you alright? I saw Kakashi-san carrying you in his arms."

"I'm fine. I'm just not feeling too good." I smile weakly at her, trying to play the part.

"Morning sickness." Shinri adds.

My eyes widen at the same time Hiraku's does, but for different reasons.

"Oh, Sakura-san, I had no idea! You should've never taken this mission in your condition! I'm sure the Hokage would've understood and sent somebody else. I'll talk to Mother and see if she'll let you ride in the carriage with her."

"Hiraku-hime, that's not necessary. I'm not-"

"Nonsense! I'll speak to her right now." Hiraku says with a warm, assuring smile.

"But-" I say helplessly, literally eating Hiraku's dust as she gallops away on her horse back towards the carriages.

"Great. Just great." I mutter.

"She's just looking out for you and your baby's well-being." Shinri says comfortingly.

"This is all _his_ fault." I glare angrily at the back of a certain silver-haired shinobi.

"Hehe." Shinri laughs good-naturedly. "I'm sure it is."

"Shinri-san, that's not what I meant! I'm not pregnant!"

"But you said-"

"No, I didn't." I shake my head adamantly.

"Oh, Sakura-san, I'm so sorry! I thought-"

"I know. It's okay. Like I said, it's not your fault, it's _his._" I glare at the back of Kakashi's head once more.

Probably sensing the heat of my stare, Kakashi turns around to meet my gaze and gives me a happy eye crease and a salute.

I give him the evil eye.

His eye widens and he quickly turns around to face forward again.

"Better be afraid." I mutter under my breath.

"But, Sakura-san, if you're not pregnant why did you-"

"Because I told Kakashi I wanted to speak to you alone and this is the best he could come up with."

"Oh...You know, you could've just said you wanted to talk to me." Shinri smiles amicably at me.

"Really?"

"Well, yeah. Why not?"

_Because I'm going to chew your ass out for not fighting for your girlfriend._

"Because you do know what I want to talk to you about, right?"

"Of course. Hiraku. Kakashi-san tried talking to me about her last night so I figured you'd be trying to do the same."

"And you're okay with that?"

"Would you leave me alone if I didn't let you say your peace?"

"No."

"And that would be why."

"It's just...I don't get it, Shinri-san. Do you love Hiraku-hime?"

"More than you'll ever know."

"Then why aren't you fighting for her?"

"Because she's promised herself to somebody else. She's not mine to fight for."

"She gave you her heart, the best part of her and the most important one, too. Seems to me that she _is_ yours to fight for."

"I'm not a romantic, Sakura-san. Guys like me just don't end up with girls like Hiraku. They deserve someone better, so they end up with someone better."

"Or maybe you are the better man, but you just didn't get the girl because you never tried getting her, or in your case, _keeping_ her in the first place."

"C'mon, Sakura-san. If a guy like me asked you to drop everything - your rich fiance, your chance for a better life, and your good reputation - for something as inconcrete as love, would you?"

"Yes."

"Really? Just like that?"

"Yes."

"Why am I having a hard time believing you?"

"Because as hard as it may be to believe, Shinri-san, not all girls are after a guy's money. There are more important things like-"

"Let me guess: Love."

"Geez, you make it sound like a dirty word."

"Like I told you, Sakura-san, I'm not a romantic."

"Well, as much as I _am_ a romantic, I'm telling you that, realistically, not all women are gold diggers. Yes, money will always factor into a relationship because when does it ever not? But it's not the driving force behind pursuing a guy or letting a guy pursue us. It's-"

"Love?"

"Nope. Attraction."

"_What?_" Shinri asks taken aback.

"I'm just being honest, Shinri-san. When we meet a guy for the first time, we're not thinking 'Oh, I wonder how much money he has?' Well, some women do, but more often than not what we're really thinking is 'Hmm...his body looks good, but what about his face?'"

"_What?!_"

"Just being honest here."

"But that's what guys do!"

"Well, that's what girls do, too."

"But what happened to love being the driving force?!" Shinri asks still in shock.

"I'm getting to that, Shinri-san. I'm trying to lay out the whole process of how the female brain works here so be patient, shut up, and maybe you'll learn something. So like I was saying, first we see if we're attracted to the guy. If we are, then we see how easy he is to get along with. Is he easy to talk to? Does he like the same things? Can we have a good laugh with him? And if he passes _that_ test, then we move on to the issue of 'love'."

"Wait a minute. So if you're not attracted to the guy, that's it? He has no chance in hell?"

"Well, not necessarily. We aren't shallow either. If a guy looks hot but is an absolute asshole, frankly he can go fuck himself, excuse my language. But if a guy looks like The King of Nerds, but treats us better than any jerk boyfriend we've ever had, makes us laugh, and makes us feel comfortable just being ourselves, then even The King of Nerds can win us over."

"You're kidding."

"Ever go someplace and wonder 'Why is a girl like her with a guy like him?'"

"Yes."

"And there you have it."

"Okay, my head is swimming here. So girls look for a guy they're attracted to and compatible with, but not necessarily the two together."

"Well, ideally we'd like both, but this isn't an ideal world so for the most part, yes."

"And _then_ comes love."

"Yes."

"But what about love at first sight?"

"We can _lust_ for someone at first sight, but love has deeper meaning and goes beyond mere attraction, thus the compatibility bit."

"So the key to love is compatibility?"

"Not necessarily."

"Oh, geez..."

"What can I say? Women are complex."

"No kidding."

"Just because we're compatible with a guy doesn't necessarily mean we'll fall head over heels in love with him."

"No, of course it doesn't."

"That just means we have to work out whether we love the guy or are _in love_ with him."

"Sure, because anything other than that would be too easy."

"Are you mocking us?" I turn around and squint hard at Shinri.

"NO! Of course not! I'm just trying to understand."

"Okay..." I say still squinting at him. "Well, let me see if I can give you an example. See that spiky-haired blond all dressed in orange in front of us?"

"Yes."

"That's my friend Naruto."

"Fish cake? Who names their kid 'fish cake'?"

"If you knew how quirky Naruto is, trust me, the name fits. Anyway, I've known Naruto for a long time. He's the proverbial 'King of Nerds' we've been talking about. Well, he's not really a nerd, more of a moron, but that's beside the point. The point is, when I was younger I didn't give him the time of day because I wasn't attracted to him, but as the years passed, he sort of grew on me and now I can honestly say that I love him, would never want to see anything bad ever happen to him, and can't imagine living the rest of my life without him in it."

"Uh...does Kakashi-san know about this?"

"Of course he does. Everybody knows I love Naruto."

"And Kakashi-san is perfectly fine with that?"

"Well, yes. Naruto's got a girlfriend at home-"

"Oooh..."

"...But even if he didn't, Kakashi knows better than to feel threatened because-"

"I think I know where you're going with this. You love Naruto with all your heart, but you're just not _in love_ with him the way you are with Kakashi-san."

"Exaaactly." I drawl out, nodding my head and smiling.

"But how can you even tell the difference between loving someone and being _in_ love with them?"

"Simplest way? My heart. If I'm in love with a guy, he literally makes my heart beat faster. Whether I'm just getting ready to see him or simply in the same room with him. Never mind having him inches from me, 'accidentally' brushing my hand or my arm with his. Or better yet, putting his hand on my shoulder while telling me that everything will be okay."

Kakashi hesitantly turns around to meet my gaze, probably feeling the heat of my stare once more. This time when our eyes meet, I smile warmly back at him and he smiles warmly back at me before ducking his head down in embarrassment and facing forward again.

"...And it's not that I'm just attracted to him, or care deeply about him, or that he feels the same way about me. It's that my heart literally _aches_ for him."

"That's your explanation to love? Heartaches?"

"I know it sounds corny, but yes, heartaches. I mean, if you want to think about it scientifically, it all has to do with signals from the brain and what it does to chemicals in the body and how the body reacts to all that, but Shinri-san, not everybody elicits that reaction in the first place. The heart is picky. And I say the heart, not the brain, because I never even considered Kakashi in the first place. My own brain couldn't wrap itself around the idea of being with someone so much older than myself and yet my heart acted on its own and made me fall in love with him anyway."

"So you're telling me that you have no control over who you fall in love with?"

"Well, you can't _make_ someone fall in love with you and by the same principle, yes, you can't really control who you fall in love with either, no matter how right or wrong a relationship with that person may be."

"Sakura-san, I really appreciate your explaining love and the way girls think to me, but how exactly does this tie in to Hiraku and me?"

"Don't you see, Shinri-san? We girls go through hell and back just to figure out whether we're in love with a guy or not and Hiraku-hime is no exception. If anything, she probably went through double hell trying to figure out her feelings for you because of the whole 'stable boy, daimyo's daughter' thing. She _knew_ it wouldn't be right to fall for you, yet she did anyway. And by simply giving you her heart, she risked more than most people usually do when they first enter into a relationship, and here you are not even bothering to fight for her. Do you have any idea how difficult it is for me to not just kick your ass right now?"

"I'm just looking out for the both of us. Is that so wrong?"

"Looking out for Hiraku-hime? No. Not putting up a fight for her? Yes."

"And what would that accomplish?"

"It would prove that you really care about her and would do anything for her."

"Of course I care about her! That's why I'm letting her go in the first place! So that she can go on living her life with her reputation intact, with a man who can provide for her better than I ever can!"

"It's not the same, Shinri-san, to be fought for and to be let go. Both may be difficult to do and done out of love, but to be fought for...It just brings your love for another person to a whole other level."

"If you think I don't care about Hiraku enough, or love her enough, then you're wrong!"

"I don't doubt your love for Hiraku-hime. That's not the issue. It's what you're willing to do for the person you love that's the issue."

"Sakura-san, I told you that I'm not a romantic-"

"Fine. Let's not talk about romantic love then. Let's talk about friendship instead then, shall we?"

"Sakura-san, what are you-"

"Uchiha Sasuke."

"Excuse me?"

"Does that name ring any bells for you?"

"Of course it does. Everyone knows who Uchiha Sasuke is. He's the one who defected from Konoha to join Orochimaru."

"Good. Then you'll know the weight and importance behind my words when I say that Kakashi, Naruto, and I used to be his old teammates."

"Oh my God. I didn't realize...I'm so sorry..."

"It's okay. It's not your fault. It's not anybodies fault, not even Sasuke's. More than anything, it's just a loss for both sides. But that's not the point I wanted to make. The point is that there were so many times when we could've just given up on him. All the times that we caught up to him and lost him again, we could've just said 'Forget him. He obviously doesn't want to have anything to do with us anymore,' but we didn't, we _don't._ Because we love him too much to just let him go. So we keep fighting for him whether he knows it or not, whether he _sees_ that or not. Whether he loves us back or-"

"Sakura-san. Are you okay?" Shinri asks, putting a comforting hand on my back.

"I'm fine." I sob, trying to pull myself back together. "The point is, Shinri-san, when you love someone, when you _really_ love someone, you don't just give up on that person. What kind of friend would you be if you did?"

"Sakura-san, you do realize that you're asking me to go up against the daimyo himself!"

"Yes, well, Kakashi went up against the hokage herself."

"Why would he-"

"Because of me. She wouldn't approve of us because there are so many reasons not to approve of us, but you know what? Kakashi stood up to her anyway. And if you knew Kakashi, you'd know it's against his nature to do something like that. He only gets like that when we're in danger and he's serious. And he was serious. I was shocked, not only because of the way he acted, but because what he did showed how much he cared for me and the lengths he'd go to for me. With so much against a relationship like ours, he could've easily just let me go, but he didn't. He fought for me instead. Do you have any idea how validating that is for me? For our relationship?"

"But Sakura-san, I'm not a fighter like you and Kakashi-san. I'm a stable boy. I prefer to lay low and not cause trouble. What you're asking me to do-"

"Is not impossible. Hard as hell and probably messy as hell, too, but not impossible. If you need backup, don't worry, Kakashi and I will definitely back-"

"Sakura-san!" Hiraku yells breathlessly from her horse. "I just spoke to Mother and she said of course you can ride in the carriage with her! If anything, she's upset you didn't say something earlier, so come on!" Hiraku says brightly, waving at Shinri and me, indicating that we should follow her on our own horse.

"But Hiraku, Sakura-san's not-"

I quickly cover Shinri's mouth with my hand.

"What are you doing?" Shinri asks confused after I finally let him go.

"Shh! I think I just found my free ticket to backing you up!"

At that moment, the convoy slows to a stop, the royal carriage door swings open, and I see Madam Shijimi's round, overly made up face smiling maternally at me. As Shinri and Hiraku help me off the horse and up the carriage steps, Madam Shijimi, with all the loudness her vocal chords can muster, yells at me:

"Sakura-san, my sweet girl! Why didn't you say you were with child, you poor child?!"

My eyes widen and as she's pulling me into the carriage with her, all the while still reprimanding me for not being more careful about my fake pregnancy, I catch from the window of the carriage's closing door Kakashi, Yamato, and Naruto looking at me with their own eyes wide and mouths dropped open in shock. Well, I can only assume that Kakashi has his mouth dropped open. Seriously. He really just needs to show his face in public so that I can stop assuming!

I start to open my mouth, wanting so badly to explain myself, but I know that I can't. Not if I want to do as I promised and back Shinri up. So I close my mouth back up and try to block out the sound of Madam Shijimi's insistent rant about motherhood starting right when you first discover you're pregnant.

The carriage starts rocking as it and the convoy starts moving again. Meanwhile, just outside the carriage I hear:

"You got her pregnant?! You got Sakura-chan pregnant?! I'll kill you, you perv!"

"I'm a father? But we were so careful!"

"You got Sakura-chan pregnant and you didn't even know you got her pregnant?! You're so dead, Kakashi-sensei!"

And to make things worse, apparently I'm not the only one to have heard them.

"Your boyfriend didn't know?!" Madam Shijimi asks in shock.

"This is all _his_ fault." I say covering my face with my hands in hopelessness.

Misunderstanding my words, Madam Shijimi starts rubbing the back of my bent over form in comforting circles.

"Shh, shh...Don't worry, sweetheart. It's not the end of the world. You'll get through this. I promise."

If only.

To be continued...


	33. 1st Learn Diff Tween Mother & Smother

Disclaimer: I do not own "Naruto."

Thank you to those of you who kindly reviewed, faved, and alerted this story. And thank you to those of you who continue to read this story but lurk in the shadows. I seee yooou...

This chapter's dedicated to **Mateba**, **LadyInverness**, and **darkonex852** because they're the ones who put it in my head to write about Kakashi's thoughts about being a dad and darkie even suggested a format in which I could do it. She's so sweet...always trying to help me get over my writer's blocks. Thanks you guys! : )

I also borrowed some stuff from "Friends," specifically the episode where Ross gets Rachel pregnant. I loved that show...

WARNING for sex talk.

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**Chapter 33-The First Time Madam Shijimi Learns The Difference Between "Mother" and "Smother"**

* * *

A mother who's not really a mother and a father who's not really a father, yet somehow I find myself being asked-

"Are you afraid?"

"I'm sorry?"

"It's okay if you are, you know? Not everyone admits it, but it's perfectly natural to be scared shitless when you first discover you're about to be a mother."

My eyes widen because I know exactly where this is going and I don't like it, especially since _I'm NOT pregnant!_

"I mean, your body alone...you don't know what the heck is going on! You think the morning sickness is bad? You haven't seen anything yet!"

Yup. Definitely don't like where this is going...

"Which reminds me, you should eat only healthy foods from now on. One of the main reasons pregnant women get morning sickness is because their body is trying to get rid of any toxins that might be bad for their baby, so no more junk food for you!" Madam Shijimi says brightly.

And it's official. I _hate_ this conversation.

"You don't have to worry about me, Madam Shijimi. Really. I'm a medic, after all, and I'm aware of all this already."

"Well, maybe you are, but is the father? He's part of this too now and he's going to have to be just as informed. Uh, assuming he _wants_ to be a part of this and you want him to be a part of this, too."

"Of course he wants to be a part of this and of course I want him to be a part of this, too." I smile assuringly at Madam Shijimi.

_"I still don't understand it. How did I get her pregnant?" Kakashi asks, holding his head in his hands._

"Oh, good!" Madam Shijimi smiles in relief. "I was worried that there might've been a problem since you hadn't told him you were pregnant."

"Oh, no! Nothing like that! I'm sure Kakashi's thrilled!"

_"I mean, I know that condoms are only about 98 percent effective, but still..."_

_"What?! Condoms are only 98 percent effective?! But I thought they were 100 percent effective!" Naruto shouts in a shrill voice._

"But why didn't you tell him sooner?"

I shrug my shoulders.

"I wanted to tell the man I love that we're having a baby in a way that would be memorable and special, like when it's just the two of us laying in bed snuggled up next to each other. It's simple but-"

"Sweet." Madam Shijimi finishes for me. "Oh, honey, I'm so sorry! I had no idea! And I just had to go and open up my big mouth and blab to the whole world that you're pregnant!"

"It's okay, Madam Shijimi. Really." _Only because I'm not_ really _pregnant,_ I think to myself, smiling warmly back at her.

"Oh, thank you for being so quick to forgive! You're such a saint! Kakashi-san is really lucky to have someone like you!" Madam Shijimi gushes.

"Well, you know..." I duck my head in embarrassment.

If she only knew...

_"Sakura's not going to forgive me for this." Kakashi shakes his head regretfully. "I_ knew _I should've pulled out the instant we were finished, but she_ wanted _me to stay inside of her and it felt so _good_ to stay inside of her-"_

_"Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP!!" Naruto screams hysterically, jamming a finger in each ear and squeezing his eyes tightly shut for good measure, but that only created a mental image behind his closed eyelids and thus, made things worse rather than better._

"But to be honest, it's Kakashi who's the patient one. As crazy as things get, he always keeps his cool and knows exactly what to do in a tight situation. That's why I trust he'll make a great father." I smile at Madam Shijimi who smiles back at me and goes "Aww..."

_"Kakashi-sempai...I think you should really stop banging your head on the tree now. It can't be good for you." Yamato says both in sympathy and shock. He's never seen his team leader quite like this before._

"I think that's why I fell in love with him in the first place. Because he's one of the good guys, always protecting and comforting me. And I know that when the baby comes, he'll be the same way...wanting to protect the baby and me."

_"The entire ANBU squadron couldn't protect me from Tsunade-sama now! I_ promised _her I wouldn't do something like this and now...Oh, God..." Kakashi says in despair and resumes banging his head against the tree._

_"Geez, at this rate I don't have to kill him. He'll just do it himself, dattebayo." Naruto mumbles to Yamato who nods his head in agreement as the two of them try to pry Kakashi away from the tree._

"You know, when I was pregnant with Hiraku-chan I was the same way. She wasn't even born yet and already I felt this need to always protect her and be there for her. The funny thing is, before she came along the whole world revolved around me and what _I_ wanted and what _I_ needed, but the _instant_ you find out that you're going to be a parent, your whole world turns upside down and now everything is about your child and what _they_ want and what _they_ need. It's strange, how becoming a parent changes you like that." Madam Shijimi says with a warm smile and a nostalgic far off look in her eyes.

I can't help but smile right along with her.

_"Kakashi-sempai...are you alright?" Yamato asks in concern._

_At the base of the tree, with his back supported against its trunk, Kakashi sits with his legs bent in front of him and his elbows resting on his knees, laughing his head off like a man whose completely lost his mind._

_"You know the first thing that came into my mind when I first heard that Sakura's pregnant?" Kakashi asks._

_"'I'm a father?'" Naruto offers helpfully._

_"Well, yes, that. But after that."_

_"'We were so careful'?" Yamato supplies._

_"'Where am I going to hide my porn?'" Kakashi laughs. "A million things I could be worrying about, but instead I'm worrying about where to hide my porn. How crazy is that? And you want to know why I was thinking that? Because I didn't want my son or daughter to accidentally find those books and start asking questions. I didn't want to have to explain the birds and the bees to them!" Kakashi laughs again._

"Even now when she's all grown up and a few days away from getting married, I still..." Madam Shijimi chokes on her words and unfortunately for Tora, Madam Shijimi chokes _her._

"Uh, Madam Shijimi?..." I try to interrupt as I watch Tora's eyes tear up.

_"So what if I got her pregnant by accident? It's not like we're kids anymore. If anything, it's been a long, long time since I've been one and it's been awhile since she's been one, too. And we love each other. We know that for a fact. If ever I was to have a child with anyone, Sakura would be it. I'm so concerned about what other people might think that I'm completely missing out on what this all means...I'm going to be a father." Kakashi says quietly with a big, proud smile evident by the happy crease of his eye._

"Oh! What am I ever going to do without my baby!" Madam Shijimi shrieks hysterically while the poor cat in her arms shrieks hysterically, too.

"Uh, Madam Shijimi?..." I try to interrupt again. This time Tora's eyes are starting to pop out of their sockets.

_"I want to be right there for Sakura through it all. I want to be there to touch her belly when it first starts to grow. I want to be there to get her pickles and ice cream when she craves them at 2am in the morning. I want to be there holding her hand when she's lying on a hospital bed with our baby ready to come out-"_

_"You know, I don't think that's such a good idea. Sakura'll crush your hand to smither-"_

_Yamato quickly shakes his head and Naruto promptly shuts up._

_"...I want to be there for our baby's first smile, first steps, first everything. I want to be there for every single minute and every single thing before, during, and after Sakura's pregnancy. My father wasn't around when I was a kid, but I sure as hell will be there for mine!" Kakashi says with fierce determination._

_Naruto and Yamato merely smile, glad to see that their team leader is back to his kickass self._

"She can't possibly get married yet! She's still a baaabyyy!!" Madam Shijimi howls.

"Me-YOOOWWW!!" Tora howls herself, putting particular emphasis on the "OW!!"

"Madam Shijimi! You're smothering her!" I shout in desperation.

"How could you say that?! Maybe you don't understand because you haven't had your baby yet, but Hiraku-chan is _my_ baby and I'm telling you that she's going to stay by my side until she's 90 years old!" Madam Shijimi says stubbornly.

"No, Madam Shijimi! You're smothering _her._" I say, quickly scooping Tora out of Madam Shijimi's arms and pulling her into my own.

"Oh!" Madam Shijimi says in genuine surprise. "I'm so sorry! I didn't realize..."

I shake my head and look sympathetically down at the half-strangled cat in my arms. I could swear I just heard it give a sigh of relief. That or Tora's just trying to get air back into her lungs.

"But Madam Shijimi, that's exactly the problem. You get so caught up in your own emotions that you don't realize what you're doing to the ones you love. I know I don't know what it's like to be a mom...Yet." I quickly catch myself. "But I do know what it's like to be a daughter and I can tell you that, as a daughter, we need our space. It's not that we hate you or don't want to have anything to do with you, it's just that if you don't give us an inch, how do you expect us to grow?" I ask while lightly petting Tora who's beginning to relax in my loose but supportive embrace.

"And I know why you guys do it. I know that girls are harder to take care of than boys because there's so much more at stake and you don't want your baby girls ending up, well, like me." I say pointing to my not really pregnant belly. "But even then, it took me until adulthood to find myself in this situation. I have my own job, my own home, and even though this pregnancy wasn't planned for, it's still well within my means to take care of this child financially, mentally, and emotionally. What's more, Kakashi and I are in love. This may fast forward things a bit, but it's nothing that wouldn't have happened between us anyway." I say, the confidence of my words surprising even me.

_"I need to catch up to her." Kakashi says, watching the convoy as it slowly shrinks into the distance as it moves on without him. "I need to tell her how I feel. I need to tell her that she doesn't have to do this alone." Kakashi says, quickly getting up on his feet._

_Naruto and Yamato exchange smiles, then follow after their team leader who's chasing after Sakura's carriage._

"You have to learn to trust us, or at the very least, trust that _you_ raised us well enough for us to make the right decisions. Hiraku-hime is a smart girl. You raised her well. She isn't the type of girl to just give herself up to just anyone. Trust in that. Trust in _her._"

_"I'll make this right. I promised her I'd make a house a home with her, but_ not _before I make her my wife." Kakashi says resolutely._

_Naruto and Yamato's eyes widen...Did he just say what they thought he just said?_

"Of course I trust Hiraku-chan. I just don't trust living the rest of my life without her!" Madam Shijimi quietly sobs.

Releasing one arm around Tora, I wrap it around Madam Shijimi's shoulders instead.

"You're a great mom, loving Hiraku-hime as much as you do, but she's all grown up now and now it's her turn to love. So let her love, let her live the rest of her life with the man _she_ chooses to love, and who knows? Maybe someday she'll turn out to be as great a mom as you."

"Oh!" Madam Shijimi sobs again, leaning into my embrace.

Even Tora seems to get an inkling of what's going on and slowly starts to crawl back into her rightful owner's lap.

"See?" I whisper. "Give them an inch and they'll find their way back into your arms in their own time."

Madam Shijimi slowly nods her head and lightly runs her hand down Tora's head and back. The cat gives a contented, heartfelt purr and at last we've all come to an understanding. I only hope that Madam Shijimi will remember this conversation when Hiraku and Shinri come out with their relationship. I'd tell her myself about it, but it's simply not my place.

As the carriage gently rocks, I look serenely out the window, but what I see throws all my serenity out the very window I'm looking through. Peeking out just beyond the horizon is...sand.

"No." I whisper.

"What is it? What's wrong?" Madam Shijimi asks, catching the worried look on my face.

Before I can answer, the convoy slows to a complete stop and there's tapping on our carriage door.

"What's going on?" Madam Shijimi asks, looking down at the guard before her.

"We're at the Wind Country border, Shijimi-sama," he informs us. "It's time for us to exchange the horses and carriages for the camels."

"Oh, very well then." Madam Shijimi states diplomatically.

Turning back to me, Madam Shijimi misreads the worried look still written all over my face. Placing a gentle hand on my knee, she tells me in a tone considerably softer than the one she used on the guard, "You don't have to go the rest of the way with us, sweetheart. The harsh desert is no place for a pregnant woman."

I look into her kind eyes and am too shocked to say anything. First Hiraku and Shinri, now me and Kakashi. Without her realizing it, Madam Shijimi is tearing us all apart.

"No." I tell her firmly while shaking my head.

"Sweetheart, what are you talking about? It's at least 100 degrees outside and you won't have the protection of this carriage anymore. Surely you understand why continuing on can't be good for you and your baby."

"It's not that. I don't want to be separated from Kakashi and-"

"Oh, honey! Is that what it is? Well, don't worry. We can send him back with you to Konoha if it'll make you feel better. We have more than enough guards and with your other two teammates still with us we're more than well protect-"

"And I don't think Hiraku-hime wants to be separated from Shinri-san either!"

"Shinri? The stable boy? But why wouldn't Hiraku-chan want to be-"

"Sakura, I really need to talk to you."

When I turn around, I'm shocked to see Kakashi standing right outside the carriage door where the guard had been just a minute ago.

"Sure, Kakashi, but can't it wait until later? We're about to switch over and Hiraku still hasn't had the chance to tell Madam Shijimi-"

"Oh..." Madam Shijimi quietly interrupts me.

Confused, Kakashi and I follow her gaze beyond the carriage door.

"Oh." Kakashi and I say in unison.

For standing apart from the convoy, well enough for everyone to see, Hiraku and Shinri stand together touching forehead to forehead, holding each other close in a tearful farewell.

To be continued...

* * *

Just so you know I didn't make the medical stuff up, here's we're I got the info from: www(period)sakthifoundation(period)org/Morning(percent sign)20Sickness(period)htm

And: www(period)umaine(period)edu/peered/contraceptives(period)htm


	34. The First Clue

Disclaimer: I do not own "Naruto."

I apologize for the wait. I got stuck, got distracted with "First Lines," and when I finished with that, I was still stuck.

Anyway...

Thank you to everyone who continues to read this story. You're the ones who keep me pushing through. : )

* * *

**Chapter 34-The First Clue**

* * *

There are many ways to show love. A touch. A whisper. A knowing look. If you are just an outsider, you may not give these "little" gestures much notice, passing them off as meaningless and insignificant, but given the right context, even outsiders will get a clue.

Looking out through the open carriage door, I continue to stare in shock at the exemplary scene playing out before me.

There's no kissing, no dramatic declarations of love. There is only a boy and a girl holding each other close, silently weeping.

From an outsider's point of view, they could just be best friends, heartbroken at the thought of never seeing each other again.

From an outsider's point of view, the way Hiraku and Shinri are acting can be seen as completely understandable...They did grow up together at the castle, after all.

From an outsider's point of view, the way they hold each other intimately close can be waved off as excusable...They're only saying goodbye.

I turn to look at Madam Shijimi's wide eyes and slightly agape mouth.

I hope she's seeing things from an outsider's point of view.

But just as human nature has us wanting one thing at the same time we want another, I equally hope that she gets a clue, if only to end this silly charade.

Looking at her, I can't help but wonder: Did she figure it out? Is she angry? Is she disappointed? Is she okay with this?

I really shouldn't care, but I do. I shouldn't be so invested in all this, but I am. It goes beyond the simple need to make things right for these people I've come to care about...It's something more insidiously selfish than that. I need to find out how things will turn out between Hiraku and Shinri so that I can somehow foresee how things will turn out between Kakashi and myself. Our relationships are so interchangeable, it could very well be Kakashi and myself out there instead, forced into parting ways simply because other people don't know how to tolerate a relationship as unconventional as ours.

And Madam Shijimi...Well, her reaction might as well be my own mother's. Despite what anyone else says or thinks, it's her words and reactions that carry the most weight and therefore, the heaviest blow.

And so, I look at Madam Shijimi now and wonder...and worry.

After a seemingly endless tense silence, Madam Shijimi finally makes her first move.

"So that's how it is," she says softly beside me.

Her eyes still locked on Hiraku and Shinri, Madam Shijimi quietly hands me Tora and slowly gets up from her seat, making her way towards the carriage door.

Out of respect and consideration, Kakashi lends her his hand. She takes it gratefully and carefully climbs down the carriage steps with his aid. As soon as her feet land safely on the ground, she tells him one last "Thank you" then proceeds to make her way towards Hiraku and Shinri in a calm, dignified manner. Somehow, this frightens Kakashi and me even more. Madam Shijimi is not a calm and dignified woman even if she is the daimyo's wife. She's an emotional wreck and if she's acting this way now, then it's merely the calm before the storm.

And when a storm hits, you want to be near the ones you love.

Getting up from my own seat, I gently place Tora upon it instead. Then, mirroring Madam Shijimi, I give Kakashi my hand and let him help me down from the carriage. Only this time, Kakashi doesn't release my hand nor do I release his. Instead, we stand side by side, hand in hand, both staring off into the distance, unsure and worried about what's going to happen next.

As if no one else exists in this place and time, Hiraku and Shinri slowly close the already small gap between them. This time, they no longer stand touching forehead to forehead. Instead, they hold each other as closely and tightly as possible, as if they couldn't possibly get close enough, Hiraku's face buried deep into Shinri's chest and Shinri's nose and mouth buried into Hiraku's raven-colored hair. With their eyes closed tightly shut, they've literally shut out the rest of the world around them.

Like a predator quietly making her way towards her prey, we all watch helplessly as Madam Shijimi closes the distance between herself and the two lovers.

I'm about to yell out a warning to Hiraku and Shinri when Kakashi stops me with a gentle "Don't, Sakura" and a shake of his head. I want to ask him "Why the hell not? She's going to kill them!" but all thoughts about questioning him fly out the window the instant he lifts up his hitai-ate, opens up his Sharingan eye, and continues to watch the scene playing out before us. Confused, but thinking he must know what he's doing, I promptly close my mouth and, like him, simply continue to watch.

Now Madam Shijimi is right in front of Hiraku and Shinri who still seem oblivious to her presence.

"Hiraku-chan?" Kakashi asks softly.

I look up at Kakashi, puzzled as to why he's saying her name, then it occurs to me why he revealed his Sharingan eye. From this distance we can't hear a word Madam Shijimi, Hiraku, or Shinri are saying, but with Kakashi's Sharingan, we can "hear" every word they say as he reads their lips. It isn't Kakashi calling Hiraku's name, it's Madam Shijimi. Kakashi is merely "translating."

"Mother!" Hiraku exclaims as she and Shinri quickly part.

"What's going on?" Madam Shijimi asks, looking from Hiraku to the stable boy and back again.

"I'm just saying goodbye." Hiraku answers, hastily wiping tears away from her eyes.

"I didn't realize you and the stable boy were so close." Madam Shijimi says tritely, folding her arms tightly across her chest.

"He's...my friend." Hiraku says meekly.

"I see. How did I not know about this?" Madam Shijimi asks coldly.

Hiraku and Shinri exchange a look and although he's obviously intimidated by the older woman in front of them, it's Shinri who answers.

"With all due respect, Shijimi-sama, we didn't think anyone would approve of a friendship between the daimyo's daughter and the hired help, so we kept our friendship secret."

"I see." Madam Shijimi repeats, her eyes shamelessly looking Shinri up and down in his humble peasant's clothes.

I lean my cheek against Kakashi's arm, instinctively seeking comfort from him. _If Madam Shijimi is acting like this just because her daughter made friends with the stable boy, how much worse will her reaction be when she finds out that they're actually in love?!_

Fully aware of her mother's scrutinizing gaze, Hiraku steps in front of Shinri as if to protect him.

"_This_ is why I didn't tell you, Mother!" Hiraku says, the tears in her eyes no longer that of sadness, but anger.

"What? What am I doing?" Madam Shijimi asks, her eyes focusing on her daughter instead in surprise. Whether her surprise is caused by her stare-down suddenly being interrupted or by her daughter's sudden ferocity, I'm unsure.

"You're doing the same thing Daddy does...judging people for all the wrong reasons!"

"I wasn't-"

"Yes, you were, Mother! I wish you could've seen your face just now! The way you were looking at Shinri, you looked so...disgusted." Hiraku says, her own face screwing up in disgust at her mother's reaction. "And what for? Because he's dressed differently than us? Because he wasn't fortunate enough to be born into the same social class as us? It's so stupid and so wrong on so many levels!"

"Hiraku-chan..."

"And yet Shinri is the only one who's ever talked to me, hung out with me, and treated me as something other than the daimyo's untouchable daughter! He was genuinely my friend when everyone else just pretended to be! He was there for me at the times when even you and Daddy weren't!"

"Hiraku-chan..."

"He's my _best_ friend, Mother! The only _real_ friend I've ever had up at the castle, the only real friend I've had my entire life, and I love him!" Hiraku said, the words spilling out of her in a rush. The widening of her eyes made it evident that the last part was blurted out unintentionally, but by the way Hiraku quickly knitted her eyebrows back together again, we could all tell that she was going to stand by her confession no matter what the consequence.

In contrast, the eyes of everyone else around her still remained wide open in shock, mine included. I didn't think she had it in her. None of us did.

All eyes turned to Madam Shijimi, waiting for her reaction.

Madam Shijimi's hard gaze never left her daughter's face as she asked the young man behind her, "And you-" she hesitated, as if trying to remember the boy's name, "...Shinri-san, how do you feel?"

Seemingly affected by Hiraku's confidence, Shinri literally stepped out from Hiraku's shadow and said equally brave, "I'm in love with her, too, Shijimi-sama. I always have been."

Madam Shijimi looked from Shinri's resolute face to that of her daughter's in disbelief. "You do realize that this is a disappointment to a great deal of people, don't you? Not only are you backing out on your word to marry someone else, not only are you jeopardizing a solid treaty between two powerful countries, but you're also putting people's feelings and reputations on the line."

Hiraku returned her mother's hard gaze with that of her own. "It was never my intention to hurt anyone, Mother. I was completely set to go through with the marriage. In fact, it was Shinri who convinced me to go through with it in the first place. As much as it hurt us, we were willing to do it because we _didn't_ want to hurt other people. And up until this point, I was sure that I'd be strong enough to go through with it, but I'm not. Just the thought of never seeing Shinri again or maybe seeing him again, but not being able to be _with_ him again because I'm already married to somebody else...it makes it hard for me to breathe, it makes me want to cry, and it tears my heart up into a million different pieces that I know if I had to live the rest of my life without him, then the rest of my life wouldn't really be living, it would just be a lie! My heart _aches_ for him, Mother. With all my heart and soul I _love_ him. You say that what I'm doing is a disappointment to other people and that I'm hurting them in so many ways, but have you somehow forgotten about _me_, your own daughter? Did it ever occur to you how badly it would hurt and disappoint me to be forced to say goodbye to the only man I ever truly loved? How it would tear me up from the inside out to have to put everyone else's needs above that of my own heart?" Hiraku asked.

Madam Shijimi looked at her daughter's face now red and soaked with tears, shook her head in defeat, and murmured sadly to herself, "_It's her turn to love..._"

I gasped.

"What? What's wrong?" Kakashi asked, looking down at me in concern.

"I think...there's hope." I smiled up at him.

Kakashi continued to look down at me in confusion, but I merely whispered "Trust me" and gently squeezed his hand in mine. Then, I looked back out into the distance, prompting Kakashi to do the same.

We watched with held breath as Madam Shijimi stepped even closer to Hiraku, reached her hands out to her, and placed them on either side of her daughter's face.

"I haven't forgotten about you, Hiraku-chan. I couldn't if I wanted to. Because as difficult as it is for you to breathe, as hard as it makes you want to cry, as much as it tears your heart up inside to imagine the rest of your life without Shinri, it's nothing in comparison to how I feel about you! _You_ are the one I love with all my heart and soul, Hiraku-chan! _You_ are the one who makes my heart ache! From the minute I held you in my arms, you have _always_ been the love of my life! I can't make you do anything, Hiraku-chan. You're a grown woman now and your life is your own. I'm not saying that this is going to be easy and I'm not saying you're off the hook. We're closer to Suna now than we are to Konoha, so you two aren't just going to run off into the sunset and live happily ever after. You have a lot of explaining to do and the least you can do, the _responsible_ thing for you to do, is to face all the people this will effect. Your father is waiting for you in Suna. That was the 'important business' he had to attend to...to travel to Suna ahead of us and surprise you at your wedding." Madam Shijimi sighed, clearly disappointed at what was supposed to be. "But if your father gives you any trouble, any trouble at all, leave him to me. I'll be the one to deal with him." Madam Shijimi said fiercely and with that, she kissed her daughter gently on the forehead and gave Shinri a small smile before turning around and making her way back towards us.

Behind her, Hiraku and Shinri looked at each other in disbelief, then their lips slowly curved up into a smile that grew bigger and bigger until they were hugging each other and laughing together in sheer and utter joy.

"I don't believe it." Kakashi said, his one visible eye wide in shock as he continued to look out in the distance. "How did you know that that was going to happen? How did you know that there was still hope?"

"Because," I smile up at him pleased, "Madam Shijimi listened to me."

Kakashi turned his head to look down at me in disbelief.

"What the heck did you say to her to make her change her mind?"

"I told her that cats and daughters are the same." I said wryly.

"You're joking, right?" Kakashi asked incredulously.

But when I simply continued to smile up at him, indicating that it wasn't a lie, his eye grew even wider and then he burst out laughing.

"You're really something, Sakura. You do know that, right?" he asked, shaking his head and quickly ruffling my hair much the same way he used to when I was younger, but although the gesture was nostalgic and teasing, he made it clear that he hadn't forgotten how our relationship had changed by wrapping his arm around my shoulders, drawing me close against his side, and placing a tender, loving kiss on the top of my head. The significance of the gesture was not lost on me and it made me smile.

From the corner of my eye, I caught Naruto smiling at us with a relieved look on his face because, after all, there are many ways to show love and, given the right context, even outsiders will get a clue.

To be continued...


	35. The First We Practice To Deceive

Disclaimer: I do not own "Naruto."

Thank you as always to everyone who continues to read and review this story. You're my anti-drug to quitting.

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**Chapter 35-"The First We Practice To Deceive"**

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Kakashi still had me pressed against his side and his masked lips buried in my hair when I caught Madam Shijimi walking towards us, a far off look in her eyes and a small smile on her lips.

"I've never seen her so happy," she said to herself in a disbelieving daze.

"Yes, and it's all because of you. What you did was truly amazing." I praised her. "Thank you for being so understanding and giving Hiraku-hime and Shinri-san a chance."

Madam Shijimi's eyes focused onto mine, as if suddenly seeing me for the first time. She had been so lost in her own thoughts that she slightly jolted when I addressed her. Then, her eyes widened, looking between Kakashi and me in realization.

"You knew about them all along, didn't you? Both of you did. That's why you gave me that little talk, wasn't it?" she asked, her eyes focusing solely on me now.

"Yes, we did and we're sorry for not telling you, but it wasn't our place. And I had promised Hiraku-hime and Shinri-san that I'd help them any way that I could, but since I couldn't talk to you directly about their relationship, I thought I could at least give you some roundabout advice. I just didn't think it would work so well!" I admitted.

"Yes, it did. More than you know. Thanks to you, I kept picturing poor Tora-chan half strangled with her fur sticking out every which way but the right one! Then, when I looked at Hiraku-chan and saw the same frantic look in her eyes, I realized I was doing the same thing to her! After that, everything you said started to make sense and I knew, as much as I didn't want to, that I had to let her go and let her live her own life."

Behind Madam Shijimi, we could still hear Hiraku and Shinri laughing and celebrating.

Madam Shijimi turned around and saw what Kakashi and I did - Hiraku and Shinri cupping each other's faces in their hands, their eyes bright and joyful as they smiled at each other. Madam Shijimi's gaze softened. That look alone spoke volumes about what she thought about her decision.

Turning back to Kakashi and me, her expression still slightly euphoric, Madam Shijimi addressed a different matter altogether.

"Well, now that your job is finished, I suppose you two want to be heading back to Konoha," she said with a knowing smile and a not so subtle glance down at my not really pregnant belly.

"Yes, we are." Kakashi said, giving Madam Shijimi a happy eye crease.

"I'll make sure to let the hokage know that you two did a wonderful job, even going above and beyond the call of duty." Madam Shijimi said approvingly.

"We'd really appreciate that," Kakashi chuckled, reaching his hand out to shake Madam Shijimi's.

Standing between them, watching as their clasped hands slowly bobbed up and down before my eyes, my heart clenched and my mind reeled.

"But it's not over yet!" I blurted out, practically shouting the very words that ran through my mind only seconds before.

Kakashi and Madam Shijimi both turned their heads to look at me in shock.

"You _don't_ want to go home?" Madam Shijimi asked, saying each word slowly and delicately as if saying the wrong thing would somehow make me explode again.

"Sakura..." Kakashi said gently, "Be reasonable. You're pregnant. It's better for you and the baby to turn back now."

"Kakashi, I've been meaning to tell you. I'm so sorry, but I'm not really pre-"

"You weren't going to leave without saying goodbye, were you?" Hiraku cut in at that moment, a teasing smile on her face.

"Or letting us say thank you?" Shinri added.

"No, I wasn't because I'm not leaving yet. I'm going with you to Suna." I told them firmly, then I gave Kakashi a hard look, letting him know I was set on this.

"Sakura-san..." Madam Shijimi began, "I'm sorry, but I have to agree with Kakashi-san on this. It simply isn't wise for a woman in your condition to be trekking out in the middle of the desert."

"But that's just it. I'm not really pre-"

"What's going on? What's wrong?" Naruto asked loudly, interrupting me. He bounded towards us, Yamato close at his heels. Although Yamato didn't say anything, he looked just as concerned as Naruto.

"Sakura doesn't want to head back home yet." Kakashi explained calmly, though the stress was clear in his voice.

"What? Why not, Sakura-chan?!" Naruto asked confused.

"Because the mission's not over yet!" I said simply, but regretted saying the words the minute they left my mouth.

"But you're pregnant, Sakura-chan!" Naruto protested.

"It's at least 100 degrees out in the desert!" Hiraku said on top of him.

"It's not good for the baby!" Madam Shijimi reprimanded.

"We're still hours away from Suna, even by camel." Yamato informed me.

"You've done more than enough, Sakura. You don't have to do this." Kakashi said, speaking the gentlest of them all, but my ears still hurt from everybody talking on top of each other.

"Will you all just listen to me?!" I shouted over the relentless onslaught of complaints and concerns.

And then, suddenly, I got exactly what I asked for...complete and utter silence.

"Okay, we're listening." Kakashi said softly, prodding me to go on.

"Thank you!" I said exasperatedly. "So like I was trying to say, I'm not really pre-" But at that moment, I became fully aware of all the eyes on me, looking at me silently and expectantly. _Be careful what you wish for,_ I thought as I felt the spotlight blaring down on me, but in spite of the many eyes staring at me, there was only _one_ eye that I really cared about...Kakashi's. Up until this moment, I hadn't really given much thought to what his reaction would be once I told him I wasn't really pregnant. In my mind, there was no reason to because it was a _fake_ pregnancy and there were more pressing, _real_ matters to attend to. And he was a genius, wasn't he? He had to remember it had been his idea to pretend I was sick in the first place! Surely he could put two and two together and figure out I wasn't really pregnant and that this was all just one big misunderstanding that got drastically out of control, couldn't he? But looking into his eye, full of confusion and concern, I knew that wasn't the case. He was reacting that way because he was trying to protect the baby. The baby that didn't even really exist! And then it dawned on me...He _wanted_ to be a dad. He _wanted_ me to be a mom. He _wanted_ this baby. He wanted it so implicitly that it was probably the reason why he hadn't figured out the pregnancy wasn't real...Because he was right smack in the middle of denial and wishful thinking. My heart sank. What had I done?! How did things get this far out of hand?! If I told him that I wasn't really pregnant now, in front of all these other people, not only would I break his heart and his hopes - I'd crush him! STUPID BAKA! If I didn't feel so sorry for him, I'd hit him upside the head. It was _his_ stupid lie that started all this! Now, for his sake, I was going to have to keep up that lie, at least until I could speak to him alone. Because if I told him the truth now, I wouldn't get the chance to explain. Everyone else was bound to get in our way, just as they had just a minute ago. And so, I reluctantly stammered:

"I'm not really pre - prepared to go home yet! There's still Hiraku-hime's dad and fiance to deal with and if it hadn't been for me, Hiraku-hime and Shinri-san wouldn't be in this situation! I started this and I'll finish it! As far as I'm concerned, my mission isn't truly over until I've seen both Hiraku-hime and Shinri-san safe and sound, happy and together back in Konoha with all loose ends tied!" I said, pursing my lips and folding my arms across my chest, effectively closing myself off from anymore arguments to the contrary.

Everyone was still and silent, knowing that there'd be no swaying me. And so, the flood of overlapping voices took on a completely different course of debate:

"She's definitely going to be riding a camel then!"

"Not only is she riding a camel, but she's riding a camel with another rider. That way someone can catch her if she starts to feel woozy again."

"I'll do it."

"No surprise there, Kakashi-sensei." Naruto said with a smirk.

"Yes, that's perfect! He can sit behind her and hold up an umbrella so that the sun won't get to her."

"We should get her a shroud, too, to keep the sand from blowing in her face."

"And double the padding on her saddle to make the ride easier."

"And double her water ration, too. She is drinking for two now and we don't want either of them getting dehydrated."

"Yes, out of everything, the heat is our biggest concern in this situation."

"But maybe we don't have to ride out in the heat of the sun..."

At this latest suggestion, everyone went quiet and slowly turned to look at Madam Shijimi. She blushed, much the same way I had when I suddenly became the center of attention. She smiled meekly as she explained.

"There's no real rush to get to Suna now, right, since the wedding isn't happening anymore? So we might as well take our time and leave when the sun sets and it's cooler."

There was a moment of silence and then a burst of excited chatter all over again.

"It'll still be pretty warm, but it'll definitely be better than having the sun boring down on Sakura."

"It'll be easier on everyone else, too."

"Yes, and it'll give us time to figure out what to say to your father and fiance, Hiraku-chan."

"Not only that, it'll give us more time to be together, Shinri-kun!" Hiraku beamed.

"But we'll always be together." Shinri contested.

"You know what I mean...Without Daddy or anyone else coming down on us."

"You're right." Shinri smiled, liking the idea of delaying the trip more and more.

"It's settled then." Madam Shijimi said with authority. "We'll stay put here until sunset before continuing on to Suna."

Everyone expressed their assent and I knew I should've been relieved, too, but it only meant that the time for me to be alone with Kakashi to tell him the truth had just been pushed up. I wasn't really sure if I was ready for that just yet, especially since I had just figured out how much he wanted this baby. Maybe if I waited long enough, like when we were alone in Suna, maybe nature would take its course and it wouldn't _have_ to be a lie.

Shit! What am I saying?! What am I _thinking?!_ Am I really ready to become a mom for the rest of my life just to keep up a lie?!

_Oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive._

Stupid baka! It was HIS lie!

To be continued...

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If you're wondering, the quote is by Sir Walter Scott. Don't you feel smart now? ;P


	36. The First And Only Constant

Disclaimer: I do not own "Naruto."

Thank you for the kind words of encouragement. You guys are amazing.

I was thinking a lot about Shippuden Ep. 72 when I wrote this and just to let you know that while I was writing this chapter, it somehow took on a life of its own. Um, you'll see...

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**Chapter 36-The First And Only Constant**

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"Thank you." I said, taking the newly filled water canteen from Kakashi's gloved hand. Since the decision to linger at the River and Wind Country border was made, a small team had been sent to go a few miles back into River Country to refill our water supply. That way, water rations wouldn't be quickly depleted while we all waited for the sun to set.

"How are you feeling?" Kakashi asked, lowering himself down to sit beside me in the shade of a scraggly, dried out tree.

"I'm fine, Kakashi. Don't worry about me."

Still, Kakashi gave me an anxious look with his one exposed eye.

I let out a sigh and took a sip of the still slightly cool water from my water canteen to appease him. When I lowered the canister down from my lips, I saw that the tense look in his eye had softened just a little.

"You never stop, do you?" I smiled and shook my head at him.

"Worrying?"

"Worrying and trying to protect me."

"Old habits die hard." Kakashi admitted, and from the slight crease of his eye, I knew he was smiling a small smile beneath his mask.

"I'm no longer that helpless little girl, you know? You don't have to do that anymore."

"I don't do it because I have to, Sakura, I do it because I want to. Besides, what kind of dad would I be if I didn't feel protective of my new son or daughter?" Kakashi asked, his eye turning up into a full happy eye crease now.

My heart suddenly felt like someone was squeezing it tightly in their fist and my stomach felt twice as heavy.

"Kakashi, about that..." I began, shooting him a nervous look. Then, I instantly regretted even glancing at him because he had a pleased, proud look in his eye. "I...I never knew you wanted to be a father so bad." I relented.

"Neither did I. It's just one of those things I didn't know I wanted until it fell into my lap."

_Why is he making this so hard?!_ my Inner Self cried in my head and I couldn't help but agree with her.

"But wouldn't having a child cramp your style?" I asked.

Kakashi looked at me and the worry quickly returned to his eye.

"Sakura...You sound like you don't want this baby."

"Kakashi, it's not that! If you and I had actually made a baby, then I'd be just as happy as you are now, but-"

"_If_ we actually made a baby..." Kakashi repeated, the last few words trailing off in sad realization.

"I'm so sorry, Kakashi! If you hadn't told everyone I felt sick this morning...I mean, everybody knows we're together, so they all just assumed...I tried to explain earlier, but you saw how it is when everyone is involved: it's too chaotic. So I knew it'd be better to tell you the truth when we were alone. I'm _really_ sorry, Kakashi! I know how much you wanted this!" I said, my apology coming out more like a plea.

Kakashi looked at me, a desolate look in his eye, but his words and tone weren't angry or accusing the way I expected them to be.

"You don't have to apologize, Sakura, because there's nothing for you to apologize for. It was all just a big misunderstanding and it started with a lie that _I_ began. I have no one to blame for this but myself."

"I know I should feel better since you're taking this all so well, but somehow I only feel worse. Why is that?!"

"I think," Kakashi said gently, "It's because we both just realized how badly we wanted this baby, after all."

I felt pinpricks at the back of my eyes and I knew he had gotten it just right.

"You and I wanting to be parents...together. I didn't see that coming back when I was twelve!" I laughed while rubbing away the tears that were now escaping embarrassingly from my eyes.

Kakashi wrapped his arm around my body and kissed me on the top of my head.

"The forever bachelor..." he murmured.

"And the girl with the bad temper." I added, still laughing ruefully.

"I think you'd make a great mom, though." Kakashi protested. "You're one of the sweetest people I know, showing everyone kindness down to the smallest gesture."

When I looked up at him in confusion, he smiled down at me and said only two words: "Peeled apples."

I laughed at him, but in genuine happiness this time.

"And the thing is," he continued, "You haven't peeled a single apple for me yet!" he said, sounding hurt.

"Would you rather I shove it whole in your mouth like a roasted pig, the way I do with Naruto?" I asked teasingly.

"Even that would be something!"

"Kakashi, I don't get to peel you apples because my hands are always full with chakra trying to heal you myself! I'd say that's a one up to simply peeling apples for you! Rather than giving you fruit, I give you my own life force!"

"Yeah, but I still want the apple." Kakashi said stubbornly.

When I turned to shoot him an incredulous look, the bright look in his eye told me he was toying with me.

"And here I thought giving you my virginity was enough."

Kakashi's eye immediately went wide and it was my turn to look back at him playfully.

"I'm just saying." I said, shrugging my shoulders.

Kakashi laughed, then rested his cheek on the crown of my head.

"You really didn't think I'd want to be a dad?" he asked after awhile.

"Well, for as long as I've known you, you've always been so aloof. You just seem like you're one of those people who prefers to be alone."

Kakashi raised his head from mine and parted a little bit away from me so that he could look me in the eyes.

"Sakura, I thought you'd have realized that that's changed now."

"Well, yeah, you let me into your life, but that didn't necessarily mean you wanted mini Kakashis and Sakuras, too! For all I knew, you wanted to die childless!"

"Sakura, just so you know, if that 'accident' had happened with anybody else, I don't believe I'd have wanted it and have been thrilled about it the way I was with you. You don't seem to realize it, but you change all the equations in my life now. If anybody else had said they wanted to be in a serious relationship with me or have children with me, I'd most likely have run off into the woods, never to be seen again. But because it's you, it's...different. You make me want to have things I never wanted for myself before. Somehow I know that if it's you and me doing those things together, then it'll actually work out. You're my constant and any other variable just won't do."

I looked up into Kakashi's eye, wishing he'd take off all the barriers covering his face so that I could just see _him_, and said:

"So I'm a math problem now?"

"Geez, Sakura! I thought you'd at least give me credit for being romantic! Not all guys are like that, you know?!"

"I know!" I laughed. "But what did you expect me to say? Don't get me wrong, I'm not questioning your sincerity and it's not like I don't appreciate what I am to you, but right now, to hear you say all this, it's just very, _very_ overwhelming! You're my first boyfriend, Kakashi. My first real anything! I'm not used to all this yet and already you're throwing me into the deep end of the pool! Just...give me some time to process all this and catch up, okay?"

"Like I said, Sakura: anything for you."

Still overwhelmed, the most I could do was nod my head.

"You'd have made a great dad, too." I said after a long stretch of silence. "When I was in the carriage talking to Madam Shijimi, it took me by surprise just how sure I was of that."

"Because you _hadn't_ thought I'd make a great dad before?"

"No, not that. Just by the way you treated Naruto, Sasuke, and me when we were younger, I could already tell you'd make a good dad: being firm with us when we needed you to be, but strong in a way that was just and understanding rather than mean and threatening. And for all your book reading and aloofness, you could never really hide the fact that you actually cared about us. A person who doesn't care doesn't try to lead his students towards the right direction, he would just let them go whatever way they wanted, right _or_ wrong, and not give a damn."

Without saying it aloud, we both knew what I was really talking about.

"Thank you, Sakura." Kakashi said quietly, his eye looking tired, but his voice sounding relieved, as if Sasuke's defection still plagued him, but my words had given Kakashi his long desired pardon.

"I'm just saying, you'd have made a great dad." I said, shrugging my shoulders again.

Kakashi laughed softly, placed his fingers beneath my chin, and lifted my face up to his for a light, but lingering masked kiss on my lips.

When we parted, both our eyes half-hooded as we still looked at each other's faces, he murmured softly:

"You ought to know that the offer still stands."

"What offer?" I asked confused.

"When I thought you were pregnant, I was going to ask you to marry me, but now I know for sure that the pregnancy wasn't the real reason I was going to do it. So, Haruno Sakura, the offer still stands," he said simply, his fingers under my chin still holding my face up to his.

"Oh my God, Kakashi! Did you forget what I just said about not overwhelming a girl all at once?!"

"You _don't_ want to accept my offer then?" Kakashi asked worriedly.

Without hesitation and before he could pull away from me, I cupped his face in both of my hands and answered:

"Kakashi, I think I've just figured out how to tell everyone about my fake pregnancy."

"How?" Kakashi asked, still not following my seemingly random train of thought.

"Simple: 'Hey, guys. So the bad news is that I'm not really pregnant, but the good news is that Kakashi and I are getting married!'"

"Really?" Kakashi asked, his eye creasing the way it always does when he's smiling a big smile under his mask.

"Yes, really." I confirmed.

And so, that's how Hatake Kakashi, the man who once used to be my teacher, the man who is a forbidden 14 years my senior, the man who had always been my constant source of comfort and protection and who had just confessed that I'm _his_ constant in all aspects of his life, proposed to me hundreds of miles from home, under one of the ugliest trees I've ever seen, without even a ring to give me. Yet somehow, it was the most perfect, the most fitting marriage proposal I could have ever received because there was nothing flamboyant about it. It was just him and me at each other's side confessing how much we loved each other...the way I hoped to spend the rest of my life with him.

To be continued...

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Kakashi and Sakura's tree:  
hansrossel(dot)com/fotos/fotografie/emiraten/em(underscore)d397(dot)htm


	37. 1st Time Saku Fell In Love With Kaka

Disclaimer: I do not own "Naruto."

Thank you for your patience and continuing to read this story. I really do work on this story everyday and try to update soon. If you could see me banging my head on my desk, trying to make the words come out, you'd know just how hard I've been trying!

Anyway, yes I know it's shorter than what most of you would like, but it's either this and have the story progress even just a little bit, or wait for who knows how long while I continue to bang my head on my desk!

So please enjoy. Who knows when the next update will be?

* * *

**Chapter 37-The First Time Sakura Fell In Love With Kakashi  
**

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Kakashi brought his fingers to the top edges of his mask and knowing what he was about to do, I lowered my hands from the sides of his face and placed them patiently on my lap instead.

With his back turned away from everybody else so that nobody but I could see, he began to lower the thin barrier of fabric down from his face, slowly revealing himself to me.

First, came the straight bridge of his nose and the tops of his cheeks where I could see more of the scar that bisected his left eye. Then, the tip of his pointed nose, his hairless upper lip, followed by his thin, smooth lips. Last was his chin and jaw, angular and masculine and cleanly shaved.

I paused for a moment, letting it all sink in.

This was my first time _really_ seeing his face: Not a hazy blur as he suddenly pushed me up against a wall and ravished me senseless on New Year's Day, or in darkness as we slow danced atop Hokage Monument beneath a starry night sky, or in dim moonlight or early breaking dawn as we made love to each other over and over again. Nothing compared to how I saw Kakashi's face now...in broad daylight.

I slowly traced the pads of my fingers against the outlines of his face, feeling like I was seeing him for the first time, like I was looking into the face of a stranger. I cupped his left cheek in my hand, skin to skin this time, and gently caressed the scar that ran the better length of it, carefully rubbing my thumb back and forth against the discolored line of flesh. Rather than mar his features, it only seemed to add to them, making him look formidable in the face of enemies, yet human and vulnerable to the few people who knew him best, people like myself.

He put a gloved hand to the left side of my own face and gently caressed my cheek with his thumb the way I was caressing his. His eye met mine and with just that one look, I knew what he wanted. His body slowly leaned in towards mine and I let my eyes slowly slide shut as I felt the distance between us lessen and lessen until it had completely disappeared. I felt rather than saw his lips press against mine, soft, smooth, and warm. They nudged at my own again and again, wordlessly enticing me to participate, so I did. Pressing and nudging my own lips against his, everything and everyone else faded into nothingness. The only thing that took precedence was how this touch, this simple, but intimate touch of our lips made us feel. It made our bodies burn more than should be allowed considering where we were and who was around us. It made our minds numb, voiding us of all thought and giving our bodies up to primal instinct. It readied them for something we couldn't do at this current place and time, but the memory of this moment would fire us up again when we were finally alone in a guest bedroom somewhere in Suna.

Reluctantly, Kakashi slowly pulled away from me and pressed his forehead against mine, still gently caressing my cheek with his thumb. I smiled with my eyes still closed, and let my thumb do the same for him.

"You know, there was a time in my life when I thought that this was all impossible." I murmured. "And it wasn't just because you're much older than me or used to be my teacher, but because you had never really paid any attention to me. You always focused on the boys first, and as far as _our_ relationship went, it didn't really exist. I was...invisible." I said, the last part ending on a sadder note than I had intended, but Kakashi had caught onto it and he pulled away from me to look me in the eyes.

"Sakura, I'm _so_ sorry. The last thing I ever wanted to do was to make you feel that way!"

"It's okay, Kakashi. I understand. The boys needed you more than I did. Sasuke needed you because you were the only person who could teach him how to use his Sharingan and Naruto needed you because only you could teach him things that the rest of us couldn't possibly handle, our not being a Jinchuuriki like him."

"It's still no excuse for how I treated you. No one should ever be made to feel invisible."

"But Kakashi, that's what I'm trying to say: you've more than made up for it! What we have now goes beyond the simple teacher/student relationship you had with Sasuke and Naruto. You're my best friend, my boyfriend, my fiance, and my lover. Our relationship is so much more intimate and I don't just mean physically. What _we_ have is so much better!"

Kakashi smiled at me and for a second I was taken aback. I saw straight, white teeth and lips raised up at the corners. I saw smile creases indenting his cheeks...I saw the whole picture.

My own lips upturned into a smile and then, I was laughing. Not just a happy "I've finally seen your face when you smile!" kind of laugh, but a hysterical "I don't know why I think it's so funny, but I just can't stop laughing!" kind of laugh.

The smile on Kakashi's own face gave way to concern and confusion.

"Sakura...what's so funny?"

But the look on his face just made me laugh even more.

"You...Hahaha!...Have...Hehehe...The worst...Hahaha!...Tan-line I've ever seen!" I said in a rush and then burst out laughing again. "You look like Zetsu only the line running across your face goes the other way!" I said hysterically.

Kakashi raised one eyebrow up at me which made the tan-line do a weird angle. I stared at it and then started laughing even harder.

Off in the distance, Naruto and everyone else started to look our way.

"You're too easily amused." Kakashi said dryly. "It's usually not this bad. It's just that we've been under the heat of the sun a lot lately," he said, quickly raising his mask back up to his face so that there was no risk of anyone else seeing it.

With it covered back up, I was able to get a hold of myself better even though a few giggles still escaped me every now and then.

"Are you finished?" Kakashi asked impatiently.

Somehow I think I hurt his feelings by laughing at his face, literally.

"I'm so sorry, Kakashi! I didn't mean to laugh at you! I don't know what came over me! It's just that as far as bets went as to what your face looked like beneath that mask, we've had everything from buckteeth to fish lips, but 'bad tan-line,' the most simple and obvious thing, never made it on that list!" I said with a big smile, but made sure not to laugh again.

"Oh, okay..." he said, but he still didn't seem convinced.

"Kakashi," I said, bringing my hand back up to his cheek so that he'd turn my way, "You're not mad at me are you?"

"No, of course not." Kakashi smiled a small smile at me.

"You are!" I said in surprise.

"Not mad, Sakura. It's just...I don't show my face to just anybody and when I showed you, you thought it was the funniest thing in the world."

"Kakashi, of all the people to have a complex about his looks, you are the last person who should have one! I'm just lucky you wear that mask all the time or I'd be in for some major competition, at least more than there already is. And I couldn't help the way I reacted. The tan-line looked funny, so I laughed. I wasn't laughing at you, I was laughing at _it_." But in truth, I knew where he was coming from. How many times had I been made fun of because of my big forehead? And even though I knew people were commenting about it and not me as a person, I couldn't help but take offense because _it_ was a part of _me_ and therefore, what they were making fun of _was_ me.

"Listen," I said gently, "You don't ever have to worry about me not accepting you. I loved you the instant you showed up at the first Chuunin exam and saved me from those two Sound ninjas who tried to attack me. I didn't know what you looked liked then and it didn't matter. All that mattered was that you were there to protect me and make me feel safe. That's what counted then, that's what counts now, and that's why I agreed to marry you: the fact that I know you'll always be there for me no matter what."

Kakashi smiled a genuine smile this time and leaned in towards me to give me another kiss.

When I felt the pressure of his lips leave mine, I opened my eyes and saw him beginning to stand up, reaching his hand out and offering it to me. I placed my hand into his and let him help me stand up.

Now standing side by side, we both looked out into the distance where, in the shimmer of a heat wave, we could make out Naruto, Yamato, Madam Shijimi, Hiraku, and Shinri talking in the shade of a small cluster of desert trees. Just looking at them made me feel nervous, guilty, and excited all at the same time about the news I - _we_ - were about to tell them.

"Are you ready?" Kakashi asked softly beside me.

"Not really." I admitted.

"Don't worry, I'll be right here at your side," he said, and as if to emphasize the point, he wrapped his arm around my shoulders and pressed me against his side.

I smiled up at him because, after all, he had just proven my point once again without him even knowing it. And slowly we began to walk, making our way towards the small crowd.

To be continued...


	38. Tell The Truth First

Disclaimer: I do not own "Naruto."

Thank you so much for continuing to read this story and special thanks to those of you who reviewed. Your feedback is my only indication that people are still enjoying this story, so thanks for taking the time to do that! : )

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**Chapter 38-Tell The Truth First**

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I heard the crash and tinkling of shattering glass, and my eyes widened in horror. At the same time, my hands shot up to cover my open mouth. _What had I done?!_

My hands still covering my mouth, I carefully stepped forward and dared to peek around the tree to confirm my suspicions.

I hadn't just imagined it. This wasn't a nightmare I could just wake up from with my heart racing and quickly push aside.

_There_ was the gaping hole and ragged edges of broken window pane. _There_ was Mrs. Kyoyou framed by the aforementioned hole, her face looking as shocked as mine felt. But unlike mine, her face quickly turned a bright shade of red, her eyebrows furrowed, and her mouth set in a grim line from sheer anger.

I watched as her furious face disappeared from the now shattered kitchen window, only to reappear again through the opening of her front door. I braced myself for what I knew was coming. What I _wanted_ to do was to just runaway, but either from guilt or shock or sense of obligation, I stood my ground instead.

But the name she screamed in outrage wasn't mine. It was the name of a boy, and another boy, and another boy who just happened to be nearby.

"You boys! Did you do this?!" Mrs. Kyoyou shouted at them.

"What? No!" they shouted back, becoming outraged themselves at being wrongly accused. "It wasn't us, it was her!" they said in unison as three fingers pointed straight at me.

I shrank and my vision darkened around my eyes as this real-life nightmare continued to get worse.

Mrs. Kyoyou followed the path of the three boys fingers and her eyes widened in surprise to see me at the end of it. I was just about to blubber incessant apologies and excuses about how it was all just an accident, but before I could, her eyes narrowed again and she turned back to the three boys.

"How dare you three pin this on her! I know that little girl and she wouldn't hurt a fly! You three, however, are a different story, and make no mistake that each of your parents will be hearing about this! Not only did you destroy my property, but tried to put the blame on somebody else, too! Now get out of my sight before you _really_ see me angry!" she told them in a warning tone.

It was clear that the boys wanted to argue more about it, but the look on Mrs. Kyoyou's face was enough to send them running back home without another word, but not before each of them shot me a look meant to kill. I looked back at them blank and speechless, too unnerved to do or say anything. As their backs disappeared into the distance, I caught Mrs. Kyoyou's eyes once more. They were softer now as they looked back at me. They were the kind, grandmotherly eyes I was used to. She gave me a warm smile, then softly closed the door behind her.

I shakily gathered up my pack of shurikens and kunais, making sure to pull out the ones that I _did_ manage to lodge into the tree trunk I was using for target practice, and headed back home.

That night, I barely touched my dinner and lay in bed wide awake for hours, my mind playing and replaying the events that probably really only took 5 minutes total from the moment I accidentally sent a shuriken flying through Mrs. Kyoyou's kitchen window to the moment Mrs. Kyoyou smiled at me and closed her door behind her. When I finally did manage to fall asleep, I was so restless, constantly tossing and turning in bed, that when I woke up the next morning, I felt like I hadn't slept a wink.

It was summer, so I didn't have to worry about running into the boys at school, and I could just hide indoors all day. But at high noon, watching through my second story bedroom window, I saw them back at Mrs. Kyoyou's house pulling weeds and mowing the lawn and basically hating life. It was their summer vacation and they had to spend it doing menial work under the unbearable heat of the sun to pay off a crime that they didn't even commit!

Later that night, again I laid in bed forcing my eyes to stay closed and my mind to shut up long enough to let me sleep. Then, somewhere between the hours of very late night and very early morning, I figured out what I had to do. And although it alleviated some of my worries for one problem, it only presented worries for another. But at least now I had a plan and that gave me a sense of peace, even if just a little.

The next morning, before my mother even had a chance to start breakfast, I found her in the kitchen and confessed everything to her.

"Oh, Sakura-chan," she said softly, "I'm so disappointed in you. I thought I raised you better than that! You should've never let those poor boys take the blame! I'm sure Mrs. Kyoyou would've understood if you had just told her that it was all an accident."

"I know, I'm so sorry!" I sobbed.

It'd have been better if my mother had simply yelled at me like other parents would have. I think I would've handled that better, but instead my mother's calm, reasonable words only added to the guilt I already felt, overwhelming me even more, and turning me into the tearful mess I was now.

My mother pulled me into her arms and I wrapped my arms around her waist, crying hard into her stomach until I felt like I couldn't cry anymore. When my sobs finally subsided, my mother gently caressed my hair and said the words I dreaded to hear.

"You have to tell the truth, Sakura-chan. It's the only way you'll be free of the torment you're putting yourself through. I know you don't want to, but you know in your heart that it's the right thing to do."

I reluctantly nodded my head, my face still buried in her stomach, and my arms wrapped around her as if clinging to dear life. In a sense, I was. In spite of this very dark time in my 6-year old life, my mother's scent and warmth and gentle voice comforted me to no end, somehow giving me the strength and the will to do even the unspeakable...fess up and face the music.

"C'mon," she said, kissing the crown of my head, "Let's go to Mrs. Kyoyou and straighten things out. The sooner we get this over with, the sooner you'll feel better."

Then, with her arms around my shoulders and my arm still clinging tightly around her waist, we walked slowly towards Mrs. Kyoyou's house.

* * *

I could still feel my heart pounding in my chest even though Kakashi had his arm wrapped protectively around my shoulders and my arm was wrapped tightly around his waist.

Naruto, Yamato, Madam Shijimi, Hiraku, and Shinri let their conversation dwindle down as each of them turned to look at Kakashi and me as we made our approach.

"I was just telling everyone that we should probably get going since the sun's starting to ride low in the west." Yamato told us.

"Yes, that's a good idea," Kakashi nodded his head in agreement, "But first, there's something that Sakura and I wanted to tell all of you."

"Oh, really? What is it?" Yamato asked while everyone looked at Kakashi and me curiously.

"Well, you see," Kakashi began, "When I told Hiraku-hime and Shinri-san that Sakura was feeling sick, they knew that Sakura and I were doing it, so they automatically thought-"

My eyes widened in horror and I quickly slapped my hand over Kakashi's masked mouth.

"What the hell are you doing?!" I screamed at him.

"I was just telling them-" Kakashi said in a muffled voice beneath my hand.

"Not like that, you baka!" I yelled.

When I looked over my shoulder, everyone was staring at us with a mixture of confusion, amusement, and shock.

"Ahahaha!" I laughed awkwardly, then turned back around to glare at Kakashi. "_I'll_ tell them!" I said through gritted teeth.

"Okay." Kakashi said with a shrug of his shoulders, his voice still muffled beneath my hand.

I gave him one last glare, then released him. Then, I turned around to face everyone once more.

"Well, you see..." I began, looking at everyone in turn.

So many eyes...So much pressure...

My heart pounded in my chest and I felt like I couldn't breathe. Then, I came to a realization:

_No matter how old you are, no matter what the crime, confessions are the hardest thing to do._

I took a deep breath and just came out with it.

"I'm so sorry, you guys, but I'm not really pregnant."

There were gasps and shouts of "What?!"

"I'm sorry! I never meant to lead you on! I was just trying to figure out a way to get Madam Shijimi alone to talk to her, and somehow one thing led to another and everyone thought I was pregnant! I wanted to tell the truth, but the lie was just so convenient...I'm really sorry! I didn't mean to lie!"

I looked around at everyone's faces, hoping that they could see the sincerity on mine, and also to see what their reaction was. I was expecting angry faces at having been deceived, so I was greatly surprised to see sad faces instead.

"Aren't you guys mad at me for lying to you?" I asked confused.

"We're not mad, Sakura-chan," Naruto said gently, "Just...disappointed."

"Yes, I know. It's a big disappointment that I lied to you the way that I did."

"Sakura-chan, we're not disappointed about _that_, we're disappointed that you're not pregnant."

"What?" I asked even more confused.

"Well, you see, we were all really happy for you and Kaka-sensei. You were going to be the first one of our friends to have a baby. And you should've heard Kaka-sensei, too! He kept saying, 'I'm a father?!' and 'Where am I going to hide my porn?'."

My eyes widened and I turned to look up at Kakashi standing beside me.

"Ahahaha!" he laughed with a happy eye crease and started to nervously scratch the back of his neck.

I just continued to look at him in shock with my mouth dropped open.

"Yeah, it was great!" Naruto continued, his trademark sly grin spreading across his face. "At first he kept banging his head against a tree-"

Somehow, my mouth dropped even lower and my eyes widened even more.

"But then, he realized how much he wanted the baby and how much he loved you, and he got all determined and kickass Kaka-sensei again. It was just the coolest thing ever!" Naruto laughed.

I looked up at Kakashi and this time smiled up at him. He smiled sheepishly back.

"Which reminds me," Naruto said, "He said that since he had gotten you pregnant, that he was going to ask you to - Crap! I'm doing it again!" he said suddenly, and I thought I heard him say "Think before you speak!" under his breath.

Realizing what he stopped himself from saying, my eyes softened and I really had to give it up to Naruto...For as long as I lived, he would always be there, trying to protect me from getting hurt.

"Naruto, it's okay," I said softly, "He did ask me even though he knew he hadn't actually gotten me pregnant. He asked me anyway because he loves me. That was reason enough."

The mischievous smile returned to Naruto's face and before we all knew it, he had jumped up in the air and was yelling "Way to go, Kaka-sensei!" and then was giving both Kakashi and me a breathtaking hug.

Realization dawned on Yamato's face as well and soon he, too, was congratulating us, thumping his sempai on the back and giving me a timid hug.

Madam Shijimi, Hiraku, and Shinri still didn't seem to know what was going on.

"Kakashi and I are getting married." I explained to them with a smile.

"Oh my God!" they all said in unison and then they, too, joined our group hug, raining Kakashi and me with their own congratulations.

In the middle of this circle of friends, Kakashi and I could only laugh and keep laughing because it's one of the greatest feelings in the world: to share good news with friends and feel their hearts and love pouring out to you.

* * *

I learned something that day, that the truth really is the best way to go.

If I had realized that sooner, then I wouldn't have wasted my time with all the torment I was putting myself through. We really are harder on ourselves than any friend, family, or stranger.

"I know you're a good girl," Mrs. Kyoyou had said, "So I believe you when you say you didn't break my window on purpose. I only wish you had said something sooner. Now I feel bad for yelling at those poor boys!"

As for those poor boys, they eventually forgave me, mostly because Mrs. Kyoyou felt so bad for unjustly punishing them, that she had overcompensated by feeding them all sorts of sweets she had made herself.

And as summer came to a close, Naruto and I found ourselves leaving the old woman's house together, the other two boys having gone the other direction towards their own homes.

"I still feel bad that I made you guys go through all that," I confessed.

"Don't be!" Naruto said. "If it weren't for you, I don't think Kiba, Chouji, and I would've became friends!"

"But weren't Kiba, Chouji, and you already friends and that's why you got in trouble together?"

"None of us were together! That day, Kiba was playing with Akamaru, Chouji was eating potato chips under a tree, and I was just passing by. You're the one who brought us together!"

"By getting you all in trouble and giving you a common enemy." I said miserably.

"Sakura-chan, I didn't mean it like that! What I meant was that I didn't _have_ to do all those chores Mrs. Kyoyou had us do. Kiba and Chouji had to do them because their parents made them, but since I don't have any parents, I _chose_ to do them."

"I still don't understand. Why would you do that?"

"I was there for moral support." Naruto smiled at me. "It gave me a chance to hang out with Kiba and Chouji and make friends with them...and you," he said, waggling his eyebrows at me.

I laughed and found myself feeling genuinely happy.

Yes, the truth really is the best. And sometimes...it'll even surprise you.

To be continued...

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Mrs. Kyoyou's name means "pardon" in Japanese.


	39. 1st Time Saka Sees Moon and Sun Together

Finally! Trust me, I feel the same way!

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**Chapter 39-The First Time Sakura Sees the Moon and the Sun Up in the Sky Together  
**

* * *

A light, cool breeze gently blows against our sweaty faces and sticky, overheated bodies, refreshing us and giving us some much needed relief, while above our heads the moon looms a pale ghostly white, a stark contrast to the sun searing hot red-orange in the west, the direction in which we're headed.

It's an oddity...to have the moon and the sun up in the sky simultaneously, but it's a _common_ oddity if that makes any sense.

"Sakura, are you alright?" Kakashi asks softly behind me.

"I'm fine." I look over my shoulder and smile at him.

Like most of the people in the convoy we're letting pass us by so that we can guard the rear, Kakashi and I are double riding a camel, Kakashi sitting behind the camel's hump and me sitting in front of it. This is mostly due to the fact that Madam Shijimi and Hiraku brought too many belongings with them, and rather than carrying people, about a quarter of the camels are carrying packs instead. Hiraku is understandable...she thought she'd be _living_ in Suna. Madam Shijimi, however, simply doesn't understand the virtues of moderation.

Kakashi reaches his hand out and gently lifts my chin up with his fingertips.

"But _that's_ what gives you away," Kakashi says, "Your smile...It doesn't reach your eyes. Every emotion you feel can be read on your face, Sakura, that's why you're not good at telling even half truths. If you insist on hiding your feelings, maybe you should consider wearing a mask yourself."

"Just because you wear a mask doesn't mean people can't read your feelings, Kakashi. I can tell what _your_ feeling just by looking at your eye. See? Right now I can tell that you're surprised I can even do that just by the way your eye widened and your eyebrow arched up."

Kakashi's eye widens even more and his eyebrow raises up even higher. Then, his eye slowly crinkles as he smiles beneath his mask.

"You know me too well, Sakura," he laughs while rubbing the back of his neck.

"Being around someone for ten years will do that to you." I smile at him again, then turn around to watch the seemingly unending line of camels stretched out before me, their bodies casting long, slanted shadows across the wide expanse of flat desert sand. The magnitude of our convoy is truly a sight to behold and there's little doubt in my mind that if some stranger happened upon us, a nomad perhaps, that he, too, would be awestruck by the scene. And with nothing but infinite sky and sand surrounding us, I can't help but sense how big the world truly is. In Konoha, it's difficult to feel that, surrounded by the dense foliage of the trees and the village's high protective walls. It's so self contained that it's easy to believe that the little world within is all that exists.

But somehow, the empty feeling this setting evokes suits the mood I'm in perfectly.

"Sakura...You're avoiding the question. What's wrong?" Kakashi gently persists.

I focus my eyes on the slow gait of a camel's legs off in the distance, but my eyes blur and I end up seeing only abstract shapes and movement.

"I thought I was finished mourning for her. It's been 7 years and I was with her for only _one_ mission, but now that we're almost at Suna, I hurt for her as much as I did the day that she died. I don't know why I have such a strong connection to her...I barely even knew her." I say, turning around to look him in the eye, which first widens in surprise at the train of thought my mind has apparently taken due to our current surroundings, then softens in understanding. It gives me some relief to know that without even having to say her name, Kakashi knows exactly who I'm talking about. In a sense it's evidence to how well he knows me as well.

"There will always be people who leave an impression even long after they've gone, and it's not about how long or how well you know a person, Sakura, it's about how your time spent with them changes you. You could be with someone for only a minute and that person can impact your life as much as a friend you've known since childhood."

"That doesn't seem possible, Kakashi."

"You think so? In _one minute_, someone you know nothing about could prevent an enemy from killing you. I'd say that person changed your life just by saving it, wouldn't you say?"

My own eyes widen, taken aback both by the truth and the nonchalance of his words, then I smile and shake my head at him.

"You always were a smooth talker." I admit begrudgingly.

"Not always, but I do have my moments." Kakashi says with a happy eye crease and an innocent shrug of his shoulders.

I laugh and lean back on him at the same time he hunches himself forward so that the top of his shoulder pillows the back of my head. Then, he places his hands on either side of my hips and kisses me on my temple before resting his chin on my shoulder.

"I admired - _admire_ her," I confess, "Because as old and frail looking as she was, she was still a force to be reckoned with."

"You two are a lot alike. You're both proof that you shouldn't judge a book by its cover. Unfortunately for Sasori, he had to learn that lesson the hard way."

"Yes. In fact, we're so much alike that it scares me."

"What makes you say that?"

"Chiyo-sama fought so hard to save the one she loved and ended up fighting and killing him instead. I'm afraid of having the same fate as her. I'm afraid that Sasuke will also be a lost cause and I'll end up killing him the way Chiyo-sama ended up killing her grandson."

"Sakura, her fate won't necessarily be your own. If you're afraid of having the same fate as her, then learn from her mistakes and alter your decisions so that you don't go down the same path as her."

"That's an easy enough thing to say, Kakashi, but not necessarily an easy thing to do."

"You won't know unless you try, Sakura. You seem to have forgotten that you're not the only one who's lost someone they love and live in fear of having the same fate as them."

_Is he referring to losing Obito or Asuma?_ I wonder to myself.

"I was afraid of turning into my father once. The irony is that when I was growing up, I adored him. No, I hero-worshipped him. He was feared, revered, and respected by everyone who was fortunate enough to know him and I wanted to be just like him, but then-"

"But then somehow he was disgraced for putting the ones he loved first." I finish for him, now remembering our conversation back at the memorial on New Year's Day.

"Yes, exactly. He put the lives of his team before their mission and as a result, he ended up botching the mission altogether. He was hated by everyone after that and I came to hate him, too. I couldn't distance myself enough from him. That's why I started to wear a mask: So that people would stop saying I looked like him, and that's why I started to do everything by the book: Because he hadn't."

"Were you really _that_ afraid of being disgraced like him that you went so far as disowning your own father?"

"No, Sakura, that wasn't the fate I was, and still am, afraid of following. My father was so overwhelmed by people's hate and resentment, even from his own son, that he ended up killing himself. _That's_ the fate I'm afraid of."

"Kakashi, I'm so sorry! When you told me that your father died for putting the ones he loved first, I thought you meant he sacrificed himself in battle the way Asuma-sensei had. I didn't think he died from his own hand!"

"Yes, my father had no honor left, so his last grasp at it was to relieve everyone of his tainted existence, but the thing is that when he killed himself, he was thought of as even_ less_ honorable because his suicide made his character appear weak, cowardly, and selfish. And more than ever I wanted to be as little like him as possible."

"But...you're not ashamed of him anymore, right? I mean, you called him 'a great man' at the memorial so you can't be."

"No, I'm not, because of Obito. He believed in my father for reasons I couldn't understand, but through his own death, Obito made those reasons crystal clear. What he did to protect our team was the bravest, most unselfish thing a human being could do, and it finally made me understand why he had championed my father the way he had and why I should have, too. As for my father's suicide, I've learned to pity him rather than hate him for it. He had all the world against him and it took its toll. Not even his teammates, the very people he saved, agreed to his actions. If only someone had believed in him and told him that what he did was honorable, if _I _had told him..." Kakashi shakes his head in deep regret. "The point is, Sakura, we can't let the deaths of the ones we loved and lost go in vain. We need to learn from their mistakes and try not to make the same ones."

"But how can I change my path so that it doesn't become like Chiyo-sama's, Kakashi? She told me not to risk my life for someone old like her, that I should save that which is important to me, but what's important to me is to get Sasuke back. In saying that, she dooms me to the same fate as her because Chiyo's mistake was in caring too much about her grandson. In the same way, I care too much about Sasuke. So what am I supposed to do? Stop caring about Sasuke? I can't do that, Kakashi!"

"I'm not asking you to stop caring about him, Sakura. I'm asking you to stop blaming yourself for not being able to control his actions. It's easy to blame ourselves for so many things that go wrong in this world, but sometimes we just have to accept the fact that not everything is within our control. People especially are not something you can control, so stop blaming yourself for all the things he did or didn't do. If you can do that much, it's a start in veering away from Chiyo's downfall."

"And what about you? You've apparently given up trying to live your life differently from the way your father did. You don't even live by the rules anymore. Aren't you afraid of having the same fate as him now?"

"That's another thing I learned, Sakura: We aren't our parents, and you're not Chiyo. The mere fact that we're independent from them gives us a better chance of changing our own fates."

"Kakashi, just because you're not your father and I'm not Chiyo-sama doesn't mean we won't make the same mistakes as them. If anything, our similarities to them only predisposes us to their same fate. Tell me this: Given the choice to save Sasuke, your old teammate, or accomplish your mission, to protect Konoha, what would your choice be?"

"Sakura, that's an impossible question to answer! I have no idea what the particulars in that situation would be, and it's those details that would influence my decision!"

"Fine. Then can you honestly tell me that if, like your father, you ended up choosing to save Sasuke instead, that you'd have no regrets whatsoever about your decision even if all of Konoha hated you later for it? That you have enough confidence in what you learned from your father's fate that you truly believe you can prevent it from becoming your own?"

"You're right, Sakura...I can't. I can't say with absolute certainty that I know better, that there's no way I'd end up doing what my father did because I can't tell the future. The most I can do is live my life day by day and hope that each decision I make is the correct one so that I don't have the same end as him. That's all you can really do: Take life one day, one hour, one minute, one second at a time. But you also have to remember, Sakura, that history doesn't have to repeat itself. Even Chiyo had faith in change and progress in the world, that's why she gave up her own life to bring Gaara back: So that the next generation can ensure those changes and progressions in the future. And that's what gives me the faith to believe that you and I can change our own fates, because even though we can't control other people and the destinies that they decide for themselves, we do have it within ourselves to change our own."

"For our sakes, Kakashi, I truly hope you're right."

"You have to have faith, Sakura. If there's one thing you shouldn't be afraid of inheriting from Chiyo, it's that."

I say nothing and snuggle deeper into Kakashi's embrace. He's given me a lot to think about and it's a bit overwhelming.

"I'd like to visit her tombstone when we get there." I say quietly.

"Of course." Kakashi says, holding me closer against him.

We watch in silence as the convoy_ still_ continues to pass us by, and a smile slowly spreads across my face when I realize that Hiraku and Shinri are the only other doubled up camel riders snuggled up against each other the way Kakashi and I are.

I let out a soft laugh.

"What?" Kakashi drawls, the smile on his face evident by the lilt in his voice.

"I was just remembering how Chiyo-sama tried to attack you the first time she saw you, and I was just wondering what she would think about us now if she saw us together like this. I mean, she loooved me, but she hated you!" I laugh, beaming up at him.

Kakashi's eye widens and a drop of sweat rolls down his temple.

"She didn't hate me, Sakura, she hated my father. She just mistook me for him."

"I don't get that, by the way. How could she mistake you for him when you were wearing that mask of yours? Didn't you say you started wearing a mask so that you _wouldn't_ look like your father anymore?"

"Yes, but it doesn't change the fact that we still have the same build, hair, and eyes. If I took this mask off, I could probably pass as his double."

"Then why bother with the mask? People apparently still mistake you for him with or without it, and it's not like you're still ashamed of him anyway!"

"Wearing a mask has its own conveniences." Kakashi says with an off-handed shrug of his shoulders.

"Like what?" I ask skeptically.

"Well, when enemies are looking for me, they're looking for a masked man, but the instant I take my mask off, I can easily blend in with the rest of the crowd."

"That's ironic. The theory is that you wear a mask because you're so good looking that you would actually _stand out_ in a crowd."

"Really?" Kakashi asks, a bit of haughtiness seeping into his voice. "Well, now that you've seen me maskless, which do you think it is?"

"Honestly, I think you bring more attention to yourself with the mask on than without it, so I would have to go with the first one."

Kakashi visibly slumps in his seat more than he already is.

"But..." I amend, "You definitely have a face that can catch people's eyes even in a sea of other faces. Even when you're not frowning, you still have a determined, distinguished look about your face that screams 'Alpha Male,' but there's also something boyish about your features that makes you look kind and and easy to get along with. Some people have such a sour, mean look on their face that it instantly makes you want to stay away from them, but not your face. Your face draws people in. So I guess the reason you still wear the mask would be a little bit of both reasons."

"Nice save, Sakura." Kakashi says flatly.

"Well, you know, I try." I say, shrugging my shoulders.

"But...you still haven't guessed the third, fourth, and fifth reasons why." Kakashi says slyly.

"There are more?!" I ask astonished.

"Of course. Things rarely happen for one or two reasons alone, Sakura."

"Alright then, what are the other reasons might I ask?"

"Well, the third reason is that I rarely, if ever, get sick because I'm protected from most airborne diseases."

"I have to admit, that is a good one." I nod my head in agreement. "Maybe I _should_ start wearing a mask after all, especially since I work at the hospital and get exposed to all kinds of illnesses."

"Couldn't hurt." Kakashi says with a shrug of his shoulders. "The fourth reason is because it's become a sort of security blanket...an extension of myself. I guess you could say that it's the same reason some women won't leave home without lipstick...I just feel naked without it."

"I figured as much." I smile at him. "And the fifth?"

"The fifth reason is based on a stupid superstition, and even though I _know_ it's a stupid superstition, I still can't completely shake it."

"What superstition?"

"The one where anyone who gets close to me ends up dying."

"Oh. Well, Kakashi, I don't blame you for thinking something like that considering all the people you've lost, but it isn't just you, it's all of us. It's the life we've chosen to lead. Pick any one person in our village, and they've lost many people as well like...Konohamaru. Before he even reached Genin, he lost his grandfather. Before he even reached Chuunin, he lost his uncle. And what about Naruto? He lost both his mom and his dad, and Jiraiya, and Asuma, and before Chiyo-sama used the life-transfer jutsu, he lost Gaara for a time as well. And what about Sasuke? He lost his entire clan! Kakashi, you are _not_ cursed, so don't feel like you have to hide behind barriers to protect the people around you from yourself."

"I know, Sakura, that's why it's the last, and the least reason why I still continue to wear a mask, and why I made the first move on you on New Year's, and why I continue to let you into my life. I have many reasons to keep wearing my mask, but not around you, not anymore."

I turn to look at Kakashi and his ironically masked face.

"Well, at least when we're not out in public." Kakashi says sheepishly.

"What? What are you thinking?" Kakashi asks when I just continue to look at him incredulously.

"The sun..." I say quietly, nodding my head in the direction it once had been, "It's finally gone."

"Well, what do you know? It is." Kakashi says, turning his head to look in the direction I'm looking.

"It's a shame," I say, "I was enjoying seeing the moon and the sun up at the same time."

"But that's what makes it so special: The fact that it _is_ a rare occurrence to see them together up in the sky like that, but for one to truly get its chance to shine, Sakura, the other one inevitably has to die."

"I know," I say sadly, "But it still hurts to see the other one have to go."

"I see..." Kakashi says, and I can sense him looking at me intently now. "She isn't truly gone, Sakura," he says softly. "As long as you carry the life and vitality she had in your heart, then she'll remain alive...through you."

I nod and wipe hesitantly at my cheeks. "And your father?" I ask.

"There's a reason why I stressed the importance of teamwork to you three." Kakashi smiles at me then gives me a quick kiss on the temple yet again, but he doesn't rest his chin back on my shoulder like last time. Instead, his face is now only a few inches from mine, as if he's positioning himself for another kiss...one that _isn't_ so innocent.

I feel my heart suddenly pound quickly in my chest.

"What's wrong, Sakura? You look flushed." Kakashi murmurs, his eye half-hooded and hazy as he slowly inches forward.

_Besides the fact that being this close to you makes me suffer from heart palpitations?_

"And to think," I say, shaking my head in disbelief, "All Naruto and I had to do to find out what you looked like beneath your mask was to research Konoha's records for your dad!"

Kakashi laughs, lifts my chin up with his fingertips, and finally lets his lips softly touch mine.

We slowly part, smile at each other with half-hooded eyes, and look up in time to see the last camel of the convoy we're guarding finally pass us by. With a click of his tongue and a light kick of his heels against our own camel's sides, Kakashi pulls the reins and soon we, too, are moving again.

To be continued...

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- Info: Yes, the moon and sun can be seen up in the sky at the same time:

answers(_dot_)yahoo(_dot_)com/question/index?qid(_equals_)20080417013737AA0nYV0

- Photo: Double riding a camel:

lcc(_dot_)com(_dot_)au/greg/maxgoesnorth/IMG(_underscore_)0988(_dot_)JPG

- The part about Chiyo's faith was inspired by Chapter 421, pages 9 and 10 in the manga.


	40. The 1st Long Journey Reaches Its End

This chapter is dedicated to **michil93** and **darkonex852**.

michil93 because her friendly encouragement helped put my butt into gear and darkonex852 because for like a month the number of reviews was just dangling at 599 and I was like "C'mon! Just one more review and it'll be an even 600!" and her review helped push it over the threshold.

And thanks as always to all of you who also reviewed, faved, and alerted because I'm no less grateful to you. : )

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**Chapter 40-The First Long Journey Reaches Its End  
**

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"We're here, Sakura." Kakashi informs me.

I immediately stop scanning the pitch black horizon to my left for potential enemies (Kakashi's left side is his blind spot, after all) and focus my attention straight ahead instead, which is the direction Kakashi's gloved hand is currently pointing at. Squinting hard into the far distance I see...absolutely nothing. The horizon in front of me is as devoid of color and shape as the horizon I had been intently staring at to my left just a minute ago.

"Kakashi..." I start to say in a skeptical tone, "I don't see-" but before I can finish, my eyes catch about a half dozen or so golden lights rising up from the nothingness like half a dozen or so pinhead-sized suns slowly bobbing towards us and growing bigger.

As expected, Suna's watchmen had seen us coming long before we even arrived at the city's high, protective cliff walls, and the lights I'm seeing now are actually lit lanterns carried by the guards assigned to escort us in. And as I _should have _expected, Kakashi had seen them coming long before anyone else in the convoy had because the man has supersensitive everything: sight, smell, hearing...He may have one eye, one ear, and his nose covered most of the time by his hitai-ate and mask, but he isn't the one whose senses are at a disadvantage, it's ours.

I turn around in my seat to shoot Kakashi a dirty look.

"What?" he asks in confusion.

"I have a kink in my neck from staring out to my left this whole time, but you didn't really need me looking out for your 'blind spot,' did you? If anyone was approaching us, you would've sensed them long before any of us had, wouldn't you?" I ask in a low, dangerous tone.

Kakashi continues to look back at me with one wide eye, panicked now rather than surprised, then tells me in his most matter-of-fact sensei voice:

"Well, Sakura, the road of life is best experienced through teamwork," he says with a happy eye crease.

I look back at him with my own eyes wide and mouth agape.

"You're unbelievable, you know that?" I tell him while shaking my head disapprovingly at him.

"Yeah, but do you know how long I've been wanting to use that one?" he asks lightheartedly.

"You're absolutely hopeless." I mutter, turning back around in my seat to face forward again. "You'll be lucky if I don't chakra-punch 'the road of life' out of you once we're married." I say in an even lower voice.

"What did you say?" Kakashi asks worriedly behind me.

"Nothing." I smile quickly back at him and after seeing the wide-eyed, panicked look return to his eye, I turn around and continue to smile devilishly to myself.

At the front of the convoy, one of the guards has approached Yamato and taken our official scroll from the hokage from him. After reading through it quickly, the guard and Yamato exchange a few words, then with a wave of the guard's hand, the other guards proceed down the long line of people and camels, checking to make sure that everything is in order: that there aren't any explosives hidden in one of the many packs, that no one except the designated Konoha ninjas are carrying weapons, and that there aren't any suspicious looking people in the convoy.

Satisfied with their inspection, the guards wave us through and soon the haunches of our camels are moving slowly up and down beneath us once more.

In the dark of night, even the most familiar places take on a different appearance whether it be a well-known city or your own bedroom. Countless of times Kakashi, Naruto, Yamato, and I have passed through the long trench that leads into Suna, but tonight the unlit passage seems to stretch out endlessly before us, its high cliff walls looming dark and foreboding on either side of us, but even after reaching the canal's end with a mutual sigh of relief, the city is still not the same sun-baked one that we are all used to. Instead, the buildings cut globe-shaped silhouettes against the star-littered sky or else glow a dim blue-white from the pale light of the moon.

It is while riding through this eerie, altered version of Suna that it occurs to me: if Hiraku's engagement was still on, fireworks would've lit up the clear sky so that night could be easily mistaken for day, and all the citizens of Suna would've come out in the streets, each and every one of them eager to get a first glimpse of their new princess.

"It's not wise to walk in there under false pretenses." Kakashi had warned us, however. "It's better to be direct with our purpose and try to contain the damage as early as possible."

And so, it was decided that one of the messenger birds traveling with us would be sent ahead with a message to cancel all wedding-related festivities, and that we would explain when we arrived.

"We basically already told them that the wedding is off, so why don't we just head back home?" Naruto asked. "It just seems cruel to make Hiraku and Shinri still go there and explain _why_ it's off."

"We're not trying to be cruel, Naruto," I explained to him, "But just like Kakashi and I will eventually have to suck it up and tell my parents about our relationship, Hiraku and Shinri have to do the same with Hiraku's fiance and her dad. It's not going to be easy and it's not going to be pretty, but it's the responsible and the right thing to do."

"And we can't just head back to Konoha anyway," Kakashi added, "Because our supplies are only meant to last as long as our arrival to Suna where they're going to replenish them for our trip back home. Besides, this far into our journey, it's more logical to continue on to Suna than it is to backtrack and try to find another village to do the same thing."

"Oh," was Naruto's reply.

In any event, this is the reason why only a few necessary guards came to meet us rather than a full-blown welcoming committee.

In a way, it's a relief. There's enough pressure on Hiraku and Shinri as there is, and to see the entire city celebrate a marriage that will not come to pass would've only made things more difficult for them, but at the same time, it's a bit sad not be greeted by cheers and smiling faces. Rather, the city continues to sleep, letting us quietly slip in like ghosts in the night.

Once the convoy reaches the center of the city, it's split into two. The first half consists of Team Kakashi, Madam Shijimi, Hiraku, and Shinri. The second half consists of everyone else left behind, mainly the servants and all the camels. One of the guards who escorted us through the city now leads the second half to their sleeping quarters or stables, while another guard leads the rest of us towards the administration building.

We in the first half look wearily and enviously at the second half. We, too, are exhausted from the long journey and want nothing more than to drag ourselves to our rooms and slip tiredly into bed, but unfortunately, being the Konoha escort team, we're obligated to check in and personally deliver Hiraku and Madam Shijimi to their awaiting party.

Once we're inside the administration building and standing just outside the main meeting room's door, our guard leaves us for a moment to formally announce our arrival before letting us in. When the door finally swings open, I barely catch a glimpse of the three-story high statues of the previous four kazekages through the opening before I see Naruto's bright blue eyes light up, see him dash inside the room without tact or decorum, and shout at the top of his lungs, "Hehehe! Gaara!"

Across the room, Gaara first looks embarrassed to be addressed so casually, but slowly a small smile lifts up the corners of his normally stoic mouth and he meets Naruto halfway across the room, albeit in a more dignified fashion, and the two hug like two brothers reunited.

Meanwhile, a young woman with intense, teal-colored eyes and sandy-blond hair swiftly makes her way across the room towards me.

"Glad you could make it. Took you long enough!" Temari says with a teasing smile, pulling me into a warm hug.

I smile and hug her back. "Long journey." I explain sheepishly.

I'm still trying to catch my breath from her tight embrace when Kankuro comes up from behind us, wraps his arms around the two of us, and officially turns our hug into a group one. I guess they're still really grateful that I saved Kankuro's life all those years ago...

When the two Sand Siblings finally release me and Naruto finally releases Gaara, Gaara looks around the room, meets all of our eyes, and tells us warmly and sincerely, "Welcome to Suna...all of you."

And_ finally_ we receive the welcome that we had hoped for, the one that we deserved.

To be continued...

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Sorry it's so short. I had to break this chapter up into two because the second half just has too much going on and I'm still trying to make sense of it myself! Anyway, they finally made it to Suna! Woo-hoo!


	41. Thankful 4 Isn't What U Thought At 1st

Thank you so much for the kind reviews and for sticking with this story!

Please bear with me. This is the last OC (Original Character) centric chapter. It's necessary, though, in order to wrap up the long ass mission arc I started. After this, I promise to make it completely KakaSaku-centric again, just the way I like it. ^_^

Also, when I was writing the argument between Hiraku and her dad, I was actually thinking about all the things I would want to say to _my_ dad because he doesn't approve of my relationship with my boyfriend either, but unlike Hiraku's dad, mine has chosen to be passive aggressive instead, although that isn't necessarily a better thing. Fortunately, he lives on the other side of the world, so whatever...

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**Chapter 41-Sometimes What You're Thankful For Isn't the First Thing You Thought It'd Be  
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It takes us a minute to notice the other people in the room. We had been so caught up in saying hello to our own friends that the other people had literally faded into the background like the many chairs and tables.

Without missing a beat, Garra, ever the leader, follows proper etiquette and introduces each group of people to the other.

In kunoichi class, we had been taught such things, proper manners and refinement, but it's only after listening to Gaara that I remember how something as simple and complicated as introductions are supposed to go:

"Toumoku Soen, this is Hatake Kakashi, the captain of the Konoha ninja escort team. Hatake Kakashi, this is Toumoku Soen, the daimyo of Wind Country."

In Shikamaru terms, if you've got a king and a knight together in a room and you need to introduce them to each other, you say the king's name first and introduce the knight. Then, you flip it, saying the knight's name first and introduce the king.

As such, everyone is meticulously introduced to each other with the royals introduced to each other first and then Team Kakashi introduced to them. When it's Shinri's turn to be introduced...Well, we'll get to that soon enough.

After the very _long_ formalities are over with (I don't think I was introduced to anybody until 20 minutes in), I come to learn this:

The daimyo of Wind Country is named Toumoku Soen. He is a tall, slender man with small eyes so slanted that it looks like he's walking around with his eyes closed, and he sports a jet black goatee that somehow only makes him look more regal.

In contrast, our daimyo of Fire Country, named Shuhan Urusai, looks interestingly enough like a male version of Madam Shijimi with big, plump cheeks, a little, piggy nose, and thick, dark hair pulled into a tight bun at the back of his head.

I guess it's true: That after awhile husbands and wives really do start to look a lot like each other, eating the same kinds of food and using the same brand of shampoo and stuff like that. It makes me wonder if I'll start looking like Kakashi or he'll start looking like me once we're married. Maybe my hair will turn fluffy and rise up on end because who knows what kind of shampoo he uses? Or maybe we'll start dressing like each other, or more accurately, I'll start dressing like him because he seems determined to wear his jounin uniform 24/7. So basically, Kakashi will stay Kakashi (bastard!) and I'll somehow turn into a female version of him. What an interesting pair we'll make then, more than we already do.

Which brings us to last royal present in the room: Hiraku's fiance, Toumoku Shousha, the son of the Wind Country daimyo.

Shousha is in one word "captivating," and by all means he is an absolute perfect match for Hiraku, in the physical sense at least. He is tall, slender, and regal looking like his father, just as Hiraku is lithe and graceful, a stark contrast to her parents. Shousha's eyes, _unlike_ his father's, are almond shaped and a deep, warm shade of brown, the same as Hiraku's, although her eyes are prettily trimmed by thick, long eyelashes that look like a soft, sable paintbrush splayed against her cheeks whenever she looks down or closes her eyes. And lastly, both Shousha and Hiraku have the same raven-colored hair, Shousha's trimmed short and neat around his ears and the back of his neck, but kept long up front so that it falls in a cute, boyish way just above his eyes, while Hiraku's is sleek and long, falling elegantly just past her shoulderblades.

When the two had shaken each others hand for the first time, we all held our breaths, not only because it was their first time meeting each other, but because they had made such a striking pair. There's no other way to say it: They looked like they were made for each other, and whatever offspring they might've produced would undoubtedly have looked as perfect and gorgeous as them.

But for all Shousha's good looks, he still couldn't get Hiraku to look as warmly and lovingly at him the same way she did at Shinri, but now, in the present, the look she reserves for Shinri alone is that of worry.

"And this is..." Gaara looks quizzically at Shinri, as if wondering himself what this stranger is doing in a room full of royalty and ninja elites.

"This is Hanburu Shinri." Hiraku says, literally stepping up so that her body stands protectively in front of Shinri's. "He's my-" she hesitates for a second, as if trying to find the right words. "He's the stableboy back at the castle," she states matter-of-factly as if that explained everything.

Everyone in the room just looks even more confused.

"The stableboy? What is _he_ doing here?" Hiraku's father asks incredulously.

Hiraku's pretty face suddenly turns both flushed and panicked, as if she doesn't know what to say.

"Well, being a stableboy Shinri, uh, works with horses, so he came along because, um, there _aren't_ any horses...We rode camels the rest of the way!"

Kakashi and I pass each other a look. We don't know what the heck Hiraku is doing, but whatever it is, it isn't confessing her love for Shinri. We both turn to look at Hiraku again, screwing our faces up, trying to understand her strained explanation.

"...So the real reason he's here now is because, uh, he has never seen camels before and wants to learn all about them, so I, uh, brought him to this meeting so that I could, uh, introduce him and see if I could, uh, get him a position working here as a stableboy for the camels!" Hiraku smiles enthusiastically as if she's really trying to sell Shinri to the royals of Wind Country, although those of us who had been in the convoy know that she's smiling because she's proud of herself for having pulled that convoluted lie out of her ass!

"What?!" Naruto shouts indignantly. "That's not the reason you-"

"Naruto...Don't." Yamato says, shaking his head.

"What? Why?!"

Kakashi, Shinri, and I merely shake our heads just like Yamato because we all know why: Hiraku has apparently lost her nerve.

As upset as I am as Naruto, and as much as I want nothing more than to go all "Shannaro!" on Hiraku right now, my hands are tied. All of our hands are. Everything had depended on Hiraku making the first move. _She_ is the key domino. The first move has to be hers and no one else's, not even Shinri's, because in this room he has no say, none of us do, not even Kakashi who is well known throughout the ninja world. In this room full of political power players, Hiraku alone carries enough clout to bring about change, but now that she's lost her nerve...

Knowing that all the things I had spoken to Hiraku about had amounted to nothing, I close the small distance between Kakashi and myself and press myself against his side. In turn, Kakashi wraps an arm around my shoulders, kisses the crown of my head, and gently rubs my upper arm comfortingly.

"You did everything you could," he murmurs to me softly.

Meanwhile,

"Of course we'll take him on as a new stableboy! It's not a problem at all!" Shousha smiles reassuringly at Hiraku, already doing everything that he can to please his bride-to-be.

"Good! Well, now that that's settled, I'd like to know what the heck _this_ is about!" Hiraku's father asks furiously, shaking the message we had previously attached to the messenger bird's leg in front of him.

"Oh! That!" Hiraku says, turning red-faced once more. "Well, I only had that sent out because I, uh, didn't want my arrival to be turned into a big deal and-"

Not able to take anymore of Hiraku's lies, I give her one last angry glare then bury my face into Kakashi's chest, turning my face so completely into his jounin flak vest that I intentionally can't see Hiraku anymore.

How stupid could I have been to think that I could make a difference?! To think that I could change the way people think and feel about love, even if it isn't the kind of love that most people would call "conventional."

"And..." I hear Hiraku's voice trail off, like she had lost the momentum of whatever else she had been about to say.

Then, I hear her take a deep breath and let it out in a long, defeated sigh. "Daddy..." I hear her say a little more strongly. "I'm sorry, but I haven't exactly been honest with you, any of you. The real reason I sent that message out is because...I'm afraid I'm going to have to retract my agreement to this arranged marriage."

Shocked by what I just heard, I quickly lift my head up from Kakashi's chest and turn to look at Hiraku.

For whatever reason, she's looking between me and Kakashi and back again with a soft look in her eyes and a small smile on her lips.

"What?! What are you talking about?!" Hiraku's father asks angrily, a thick vein on his temple looking about ready to burst.

"Daddy, Shinri here is not only our stableboy, he's also my...best friend. He always has been ever since I was little. I never told you about it, though, because I know how you are about everyone knowing their place and staying there."

"Damn right," the daimyo mutters.

Hiraku seems to shrink a little, but continues on.

"But as Shinri and I both grew older our relationship...changed. Shinri became more than just a friend to me, he became someone I couldn't imagine living life without."

"So you want to keep the stableboy around so that you can keep your bizarre friendship with him. Fine. You can keep him. I'll just have to hire another stableboy to take his place back at the-"

"Daddy, I don't think you're quite understanding what I'm getting at! When I say I can't imagine living life without Shinri, I mean that I can't imagine living my life with anybody else _except_ him!" Hiraku states firmly, looking determinedly back at her father.

The daimyo looks at his daughter as if seeing her for the first time, as if just now noticing her protective stance between him and Shinri, and how her words of conviction could only come from somebody in-

"NO!" the daimyo's eyes go wide both in realization and rage. "You're about to be married to one of the richest, most powerful bachelors this side of the world and you're in love with this...PEASANT?! Have you gone out of your mind?!" the daimyo shouts so angrily that spittle flies out of his mouth.

Hiraku looks terrified. Heck, _I'm_ terrified. So is Kakashi. It's because the daimyo's reaction is playing out like a sneak preview of what my own father's reaction will be when I tell him that not only am I in love with my former teacher, but I'm engaged to him, too!

Just when it looks like Hiraku is about to fall apart and crumple down into tears, she stands her ground instead.

"I haven't lost my mind, Daddy. I've just made it up. If I'm going to commit the rest of my life to somebody else, I want it to be because I'm in love with that person and marrying him is the next natural step, and not just as a favor or a convenience, even for you, Daddy."

"I don't believe this!" Hiraku's father says, holding his head in his hands. "Are you doing this to get back at me for something?!"

"What? No!" Hiraku cries in disbelief. "Daddy, I'm not doing this to be rebellious, I'm doing this because I've finally found someone to love and love me back, and it's not fair to Shinri, or to me, or even to Shousha-san if I get married just because of some sense of obligation. I just don't want to do something that I'll end up regretting for the rest of my life!"

"Which is exactly the reason why I'm mad at you! Don't you see how a decision like this can ruin your life?! Sure, okay, you're happy now, but what about 5 years from now or 10 years from now when you finally start to experience the consequences of your decision? I'm just trying to protect you from having to deal with that sort of regret later!"

The hardened look on Hiraku's face starts to soften.

"Daddy, thank you for trying to protect me, but whatever path I decide to take in life, there will always be risk of regret. And if what you say does happen, then at least I followed my own heart and intuition. At least I won't regret not having done that. Besides, I think the greatest regret that I have to worry about is letting love go with odds of six billion to one of ever finding love in the first place!" Hiraku smiles wistfully. Then, she steps next to Shinri and presses herself against his side, the same way that I'm pressed up against Kakashi. At that moment, I come to understand.

By reaching out to Kakashi, I reminded Hiraku that she isn't the only one in a relationship that other people might consider "wrong." It reminded her that she has people who are willing to stand behind her if she needs it, and knowing that, she found the courage to do the hardest thing of all: Speak up.

But I'm not the only one who realizes what, or rather _who,_ brought about Hiraku's change of heart.

Hiraku's father looks between Hiraku and Shinri's smiling faces, then to me and Kakashi, and back again.

"This - this is all _your_ fault?!" the daimyo shouts, glaring furiously at Kakashi and me.

Both Kakashi's and my eyes grow wide. It's one thing to watch the daimyo go on a rampage with his daughter. It's another thing to have him go on a rampage with _us._

"What kind of nonsense have you two been filling my daughter's head with?! Your job was to bring her safely to her destination. That's it! At what point did you think it was part of your duty to fill my daughter's head with lofty ideals about love?!"

Before Kakashi and I can answer, the daimyo cuts us off by saying, "What you two did was completely out of line! Make no mistake, I'll be speaking with your hokage about this and I won't be satisfied until you're both stripped of your shinobi status!" he says vehemently. "And you!" he says, whipping his head around to glare angrily back at his daughter, "I will not accept this-" he looks disdainfully down at Shinri "..._Servant_ as your boyfriend! Ever! What were you thinking?! _Were_ you even thinking?! I thought you were a smart girl, Hiraku, but apparently you're not if you think it's perfectly okay to listen to a naive, doe-eyed girl and her shameless, cradle-robbing boyfriend!"

"WATCH. YOUR. TONGUE."

We all turn around to look at the source of the sharply spoken words. With her lips pressed firmly together in a tight, thin line and her chin held up high proud and strong, Madam Shijimi glowers intensely back at her husband, paying no heed to all of our shocked stares.

"This is about your daughter, Urusai, and about what _she_ wants. Yes, what Sakura-san and Kakashi-san did may have been out of line, but that gives you _no right_ to speak about them the way you just did! If anything, they have a better understanding about your daughter and what she's going through and what she's feeling than you ever have and probably ever will! Don't you see? This _servant_-" Madam Shijimi says, gently placing her hand on Shinri's shoulder, "He makes your daughter laugh. He makes your daughter smile. He makes her _happy_! So you shouldn't be angry at him or at her or even at the people who made them realize how rare and precious the kind of relationship they have is, you should be happy for them! You should be _thankful_ for them! Be thankful that your daughter has enough sense to fall in love with someone who values her. Be thankful that someone as good-hearted as Shinri _does_ value her. And be thankful that there are people out there as compassionate and caring as Sakura-san and Kakashi-san that they went out of their way to make sure your own flesh and blood didn't make a decision about something as life-altering as marriage without having her heart and mind completely open first!" Madam Shijimi fumes.

"Be that as it may, _dearest_," the daimyo says through gritted teeth, "Our daughter is born into nobility. She can't just go bouncing around town with whoever she pleases. There are certain responsibilities and expectations of her that need to be met or have you forgotten about that, too?" the daimyo asks, narrowing his eyes at his wife.

Madam Shijimi scowls at her husband, then quickly spins around to face the daimyo of Wind Country instead.

"Our two countries have already been united by the kages of our hidden villages," she says in a clear, crisp voice. "The marriage between your son and my daughter was arranged merely to reinforce that bond. By backing down from this marital agreement, has my daughter in any way damaged the friendly relations between Fire and Wind?"

The daimyo of Wind calmly appraises Madam Shijimi and her inquiry.

"That is up to my son to decide," he says coolly.

Shousha and Hiraku meet eyes, Hiraku looking worried, Shousha looking embarrassed.

"Well, I can't say I'm not disappointed," Shousha admits, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly and looking up at Hiraku from his bowed down position. "When I first heard that I was arranged to be married, I was furious. Like you, I wanted to marry for love, not obligation, but at the same time I hadn't met the right person on my own so I thought, 'Okay. Fine. I might as well give this arranged marriage a chance. It couldn't hurt the way things have been going.' Then tonight, when I finally saw the girl they had chosen for me, when I saw _you_..." Shousha turns a brighter shade of red than he already is. "All I'm saying is that I honestly would've liked to have gotten to know you better, maybe even been given the chance to fall in love with you, but...I won't hold it against you if you want to back down. From what I understand, you fell in love with your best friend. How could I possibly compete with that?" he says, giving Hiraku a sweet, crooked smile.

"Thank you, Shousha-san." Hiraku says quietly, smiling back at him in relief, as if a great burden had just been lifted off of her shoulders. "And I'm truly sorry," she adds. From the look in her eyes we can all tell that she genuinely is. "I hope you'll find what you're looking for someday."

"Me, too." Shousha smiles ruefully back at her.

Madam Shijimi turns back around and smiles at her husband.

"See? Problem solved," she says gloatingly.

Urusai looks flabbergasted.

"This doesn't change the fact that I don't want my daughter in a relationship with someone who is less than worthy of her!" the daimyo grounds out.

"Urusai, a person's worth is more than the amount of money he has in his bank account!" Madam Shijimi snaps back.

"Now I know where our daughter gets her deluded ideas from: You! Do you have any idea what an embarrassment this will be to our family, to _me_, if this gets out? Everyone will be talking about how the daimyo of Fire Country can't even control his own daughter. How can he possibly control an entire country?! No, I will not allow this! As Hiraku's father, I forbid it!"

"And as her mother, I don't!"

"Shijimi, need I remind you that not only am I the head of our family, but the head of our country as well? And if you continue to go against me on this, I will have you locked up for treason!"

"I'd like to see you try to." Madam Shijimi says, taking a step towards her husband, fearless and unwavering. "You may be the daimyo and I may still be your subject, but in marriage, we are equals, and I'm telling you as your equal, I will not let you run our daughter's life! You're always so caught up in what _you_ want and how other people's actions will reflect on _you_. Everything is always about _you_! Well, if you haven't noticed, everything isn't all about you! Your daughter has a life of her own and it's her right to live it the way she sees fit. She's a grown woman now and all we can do is give her advice and tell her our concerns if we're not happy about the decisions she makes, but that's it!"

For a long time, Madam Shijimi and Urusai do nothing but glare angrily at each other.

"Fine! Have it your way!" Urusai says angrily, breaking the staring match with his wife to look over her shoulder and at their daughter standing behind her.

"Hiraku!"

"Yes, Daddy?" Hiraku asks nervously.

"Your mother is right. Your life is your own and you can live it any way you want to, so you can rest assured that I will not stand between you and the stableboy, BUT-" he cuts into Hiraku and Shinri's premature cheers, "Expect no support from me financial or otherwise either. If you want to live the rest of your life with a peasant, then live the rest of your life _as_ a peasant, too!" he says coldly, giving his daughter, her boyfriend, his wife, and everyone else in the room one last icy glare respectively before turning around and stomping out of the room.

"Life is hard enough as it is and you two just made it twice as hard on yourselves!" he shouts before slamming the door behind him.

We all turn to look at Hiraku and Shinri. They look absolutely crestfallen.

Madam Shijimi, however, looks angry enough to murder her husband.

"That son-of-a...If he thinks he can get away with disowning his only daughter, then he's got another thing coming to him!"

"Mom...it's alright." Hiraku says quietly. "It's better this way. Even if by some miracle Dad had accepted my relationship with Shinri, I still wouldn't have wanted to take his money or live under the same roof as him anymore. All I ever wanted was to start a new life with Shinri. It may not have happened the way I wanted it to, but I still got what I asked for," she says, giving her mother a broken smile.

"If it'll be of any help," Shousha says tentatively, as if afraid to interrupt, "We'll still take Shinri-san on as a stableboy for the camels, and you're both free to start a new life here in Suna."

Hiraku turns to look at Shinri, then at her mother, and when they both give her a smile of approval, she turns to Shousha and gives him her own smile, the brightest one she can muster in spite of everything she has just been through.

"We'd really love that. Thank you, Shousha-san," she says quietly.

A wave of guilt overwhelms me.

"Hiraku-hime, I'm so sorry! If it hadn't been for me..."

"What, Sakura-chan? If it hadn't been for you I'd be up in my guestroom right now balling my eyes out because I just said goodbye to the only man I ever loved and am about to get married to a man I don't. And it's not like you didn't warn me that this was going to be difficult and messy. You were honest from the start, and still I chose to tell my father anyway. I'm just sorry my dad came down on you and Kakashi-kun like that. At least now I get to live the life I want for myself rather than the one someone else chose for me. So...thank you." Hiraku says, smiling at me.

I feel my face heat up and start to rub the back of my neck. Kakashi's habits are starting to rub off on me. At this rate, I really will be a female version of him once we're married!

"You're welcome, but I think we should really be thanking your mom instead! You were truly amazing, Madam Shijimi!"

Madam Shijimi smiles back at all of us, looking smug and proud of herself.

"Well, you know, no one should ever, EVER mess with Mama Bear," she says simply.

We all laugh in agreement, me snuggling deeper into Kakashi's embrace, and Hiraku into Shinri's.

I never thought I'd be one to say this, but Madam Shijimi is my hero!

To be continued...

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- Hiraku's name means "To enlighten" in Japanese and Shinri's means "truth."

The dad's name means "noisy leader." In contrast, the Wind Country daimyo's name means "silent leader." Lastly, the fiance's name means "winner," which is ironic because he doesn't get the girl.

- Picture of Wind Country's daimyo:

leafninja(dot)com/locations(dot)php?p=wind

Now, Kishimoto, make my Thanksgiving and let Kakashi LIVE!!!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! ^_^


	42. 1stNight They Dont & Promise Always Will

Thank you to everyone who reviewed and is still reading this story! ^_^

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**Chapter 42-The First Night They Don't and the Promise That They Always Will**

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_Come what may_

_I will love you_

_Until my dying day_

- from "Moulin Rouge"

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I fall into bed, relieved to finally lay down and stretch out my sore, aching body. It's been such a long, taxing day both physically and emotionally.

At the end of the bed, Kakashi pulls off his hitai-ate, jounin flak vest, and sandals. When he's stripped down to nothing more than his boxers, he plops heavily down onto the bed next to me and lets out a big sigh of relief, grateful as I am to finally rest.

Because of the sudden weight of his body and the dip of the bed (and the fact that I'm just used to it by now) I automatically turn onto my side and curl up against him, pillowing my head on top of his chest so that I can feel his every breath as it rises and falls, and hear the life beating inside of him.

Kakashi lifts his head up from his pillow long enough to give me a long, lingering kiss on the crown of my head before letting his own head plop unceremoniously back down onto the pillow. Then, he wraps one arm supportively around my shoulders while his other hand absentmindedly rubs against the bare arm I've wrapped around his waist.

Every inch and ounce of my body is screaming for me to just go to sleep, but after several minutes of listening to Kakashi's steady breaths and heartbeat, my relentlessly wide awake mind wins out.

"Kakashi?..." I ask softly.

"Mmm..." he grunts, and when I lift my head up from his chest to look at him, I see that both his eyes are already closed.

"Kakashi..." I repeat, "I'm worried."

He slowly cracks one dark eye open to look up at me.

"About what?" he asks.

"The way things turned out today."

The look in Kakashi's eye softens.

"Don't be," he says comfortingly. "Everything will work out. You'll see. As long as Hiraku and Shinri are together-"

"Kakashi, it's not them I'm worried about, it's us."

"Oh!" he says, his eye widening in surprise. "How come?"

"Well, the way Hiraku's dad reacted, it was so..."

"Scary?" Kakashi offers.

"Yes." I agree. "And I'm worried about how things will turn out when _I_ tell my parents about us. I mean, what if my father reacts the same way as Hiraku's? What do we do then?"

"Sakura, even if your dad reacts as badly as Hiraku's, that won't stop me from wanting to stay with you. If anything, it would only make me want to fight for you and prove myself to him even more. If you haven't noticed, I'm in this relationship for keeps," he smiles, and not just with his eyes, but with the corners of his mouth pulled up to the creases of his cheeks...A true smile.

"Thank you." I smile back at him, then gently lay my head back down on his chest. With my eyes closed and body lax, I feel my awareness of the waking world slowly start to slip away...

"Great. Now _I'm_ worried." Kakashi says, jolting me back to reality.

I lift my head back off of his chest to look at him blearily.

"About my dad's reaction?" I ask.

"No, _your_ reaction."

"_My_ reaction?!" I ask, fully awake now. "What do you mean?!"

"So let's say your dad does react as badly as Hiraku's. What then? Are you willing to stay with me even if your own father disowns you?"

My heart suddenly feels as heavy as lead. I was always "Daddy's Little Girl" and the thought of my dad never wanting to see me again or speak to me again...It'd be like my best friend turning his back on me.

"I'm honestly not sure what I'd do in that situation." I confess.

Kakashi looks crestfallen.

"BUT what I am sure of is that I love you. No one loves, cares, and protects me the way you do. From the very beginning, it was always you, before I even knew it myself. And if my father disowns me like Hiraku's father disowned her, then I'll just have to learn to live with it because I'm not leaving you." I say firmly. "I'd prefer not to have to chose one man's love over another's, but like Hiraku, I want to live my life the way _I_ see fit. Doing what my father asks might make him happy, but only at the cost of my own happiness. It may be selfish, but I can't do that to myself...or to you."

"'Love conquers all,' eh?" Kakashi says with a smirk.

"No, that's a bit much," I admit, "But it's an undeniable fact that we go to extreme lengths for it. The way I feel about you is no different."

Kakashi smiles back at me with an amused look in his eye.

"What?" I ask confused.

"If I wasn't so freakin' tired, I'd make crazy love to you right now!" he says.

I laugh.

"I feel the same way! Bright and early tomorrow morning instead?"

"Before the sun even comes up." Kakashi agrees.

So I lay my head back down on Kakashi's chest, and he wraps his arm back around my shoulders, the two of us just happy to be in each others embrace because, after all, you don't have to make love every night, especially when you know you have many more nights...mornings...days...(you get the idea) to do so, and _finally_ we fall asleep, at peace with the knowledge that, come what may, no one can ever stop us from staying together or loving each other.

To be continued...

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youtube(dot)com/watch?v=Sq-_9lOCyu4


	43. Not Their 1st Good Morning Nor The Last

Well, it's been one year to the day that I've been working on this story, so more than ever I want to thank everyone who has faved, alerted, and reviewed this story. Whenever I see one of those in my inbox, I just feel so happy and relieved because it shows that you guys still care about this story and it really motivates me to keep going, so THANK YOU! ^_^

**WARNING:** This chapter contains explicit sexual content. If that sort of thing offends you, please turn back now. I promise that the chapters after this will be back to fluff, humor, and all that other good stuff.

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**Chapter 43-Not Their First "Good Morning" Nor Their Last**

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**

Somewhere outside I hear a rooster crowing. I slowly open up my eyes and see that the room is still dark with only the lightest tint of early morning gray.

At some point in the middle of the night I had changed positions. I'm no longer in Kakashi's arms, but laying flat on my stomach, my arms tucked beneath my head, facing away from him.

I turn myself over, moving as slowly and gently as I possibly can so that I don't wake up Kakashi.

Once I'm on my side and facing him, I see that he's hardly moved since we both drifted off to sleep. He's still laying on his back, but now he has an arm thrown over his face to cover up his eyes.

For a moment I take in how little stubbles of hair have grown on his cheeks and chin overnight, how his chest slowly but steadily rises and falls as he sleeps, how he's managed to kick the blanket completely off of him, and how he's-

My eyes widen and I feel my face start to heat up.

I mean, I know it's perfectly natural. Heck, he had the same problem the first night I slept with him, but didn't "sleep" with him. And as a medic I know that it's necessary. If he doesn't get that way every night (because it actually happens at night not during the morning like a lot of people think) then it wouldn't be good for him. It's the one thing that keeps his tissue down there healthy and from literally withering away while he sleeps. So I understand the _why_ behind it, it's just...Well, girls don't have anything like that happen to them and it takes some getting used to. Besides, it sort of snaked out through the slit of his boxers and because of his breathing and the blood pumping into it, it's...bobbing.

Kakashi suddenly stirs and I quickly move my eyes back up to his face. He moves his arm off of his eyes to rest it on his forehead instead, then slowly turns his head to look at me, his one dark eye focusing onto both of mine.

I smile at him, hoping that he can't see the guilt and embarrassment written all over my burning face.

Lucky for me he only smiles back and spreads out his free arm flat across the bed, palm up, silently beckoning for me to snuggle with him.

I obligingly scoot the small distance over to him and feel his arm immediately wrap around me, absorbing me into his embrace...And I'm back to where I started: My head pillowed against his chest and the length of my body pressed against his side.

And now I'm staring straight at _it_.

And it's still bobbing.

So, I have two choices: A) I can be really embarrassed about being inadvertently made to stare straight at it, or B) I can consider this an opportunity.

I go with B.

I reach out and gently place my hand on top of it. The first thing I notice is its texture. The skin is unbelievably soft and silky, but it also seems quite fragile, like if I made the slightest wrong move, then my fingernails would immediately nick it and cause it to bleed. In contrast, the muscle underneath is anything but fragile and vulnerable. It's hard, the way the muscles on your bicep turn hard when you flex your arm, and it's thick. Thick enough that I can wrap my fingers around it and give it a gentle squeeze.

Kakashi lets out a pleasured moan.

Oh, okay. That wasn't my intention, but hey...

I gently squeeze him again, this time moving my hand from right below the mushroom shaped head, down to his base, and back up again.

Again, Kakashi lets out a pleasured moan, and again I just go with it.

I continue to stroke him, but notice something that makes doing so a little difficult. As soft as the flesh is, it's not slippery so it makes the up and down movement of my hand rough rather than smooth.

A solution immediately pops into my head and I lift my head off of Kakashi's chest to put my idea to practice.

Positioning myself between his legs, I take Kakashi into my hand and hold him firmly, but not too firmly so as not to hurt him. Then, I lick the underside of his cock from base to tip before opening up my mouth and wrapping my lips around the head, swirling my tongue around and around the tender flesh.

Kakashi moans even louder.

Pleased with his response, I take him further into my mouth as far as I can take him without choking and again swirl and press my tongue against the simultaneously soft and hard member. I steadily bob my head up and down over and around it, imitating with my mouth what I had done with my hand earlier. I finally let up on him when I feel that I can hold my breath no longer, removing him from my throat so that I can breathe again, but I make up for the loss of the warmth and pleasure of my mouth by squeezing him with my hand once more.

My plan worked. Now my hand easily glides up and down against him, so much easier in fact that I can stroke him faster now.

Kakashi lets out a strangled moan and when I look up at his face I see that his eyes are squeezed tightly shut and his mouth has taken on a grimace.

In any other situation it would be the facial expression of someone in pain, but considering the circumstance I know it's because I'm making him feel really, really good.

I pump him a few more times before Kakashi firmly places his hand on top of mine, indicating for me to stop. I look up at him questioningly, but he only raises himself up off the bed and gently pushes me down flat on my back.

He moves his hand down between my legs and I feel his fingertips gently brush against me through my panties. His middle finger has found the bump of my clit through the thin cloth and he's rubbing against it over and over again. If I was already aroused while squeezing and sucking on him, then I'm even more aroused now. The repetitive contact of his finger against that extremely sensitive part of me is causing all the other parts of my body to respond in turn. It's making my breasts ache, longing to be squeezed and sucked. It's making my heart beat faster, and my breathing shallower and quicker. And it's making me burn and tingle between my legs, aching for more of his touch.

Kakashi slips his hand under the band of my panties, first parting my outer lips with his finger, then dipping his finger shallowly inside to bring the dampness there up to my clit to help lubricate it and make rubbing against it easier.

As his hand moves up and down beneath my panties, I quickly realize that his hand is quite big and my panties are quite small. So in fear of him ruining my perfectly good panties (Not to mention that it'll make things more convenient for him and me both) I hook my thumbs underneath the elastic band at my hips and pull the fabric down.

Kakashi stops the movement of his hand long enough so that I can bring my panties down and off my legs, but he doesn't remove his hand or budge a single inch, opting to keep his hand clutched securely between my legs.

Once the panties are completely off, he resumes rubbing me uninhibited, lifting up the protective hood of flesh over my clit with one hand so that the other can continue to tease the now engorged bundle of nerves faster and more vigorously than before. It makes the burning and tingling sensation deep inside of me even more intense. It makes me desperate for something to fill me up, for something my inner muscles to squeeze around. Right when I'm about to beg Kakashi for exactly that, he slips one finger, then two inside of me and I instantly feel a wave of relief.

He moves his fingers slowly in and out at first, letting me adjust to their intrusion. It feels good, like they're gently rubbing away the burning need I had felt only seconds before. Kakashi keeps up his languid pace for awhile, letting me savor and enjoy the sensation. I would be perfectly content if he kept doing what he was doing for a very long time, but apparently he has other ideas.

Without warning he suddenly quickens his pace, pistoning his fingers in and out at a blurred speed. My body jolts with each driving thrust and I have no choice but to breathe in ragged huffs. What he's doing is undeniably rough and thoughts of telling him to stop race through my mind, but I don't because something big is building up inside of me and if I tell him to stop now I know that the feeling will quickly dissipate and that's the last thing I want. So instead I turn myself towards him, wrap my arms around his neck, and hold on for dear life. Again and again, I feel his fingertips press against the burning ball of heat deep inside of me and, completely beyond my control, spurts of water splash against his still relentlessly pumping hand. There's no mistaking it: I'm coming. Hard. Kakashi thrusts his fingers into me a few more times, then thankfully slows back down to a gentle, in and out pace.

Breathless and heart frantically racing, I feel absolutely euphoric and completely satisfied. I smile exhaustedly at Kakashi who smiles back at me. Then, he slowly slips his fingers out, lays on his side with his back to me, and reaches out for something on the floor on his side of the bed. When he lays back down on his back, he's holding a little foil packet in his hand and carefully tearing it.

And then it all becomes clear.

Kakashi didn't do what he did to me for the sole purpose of satisfying me (Although satisfy me he did). He also did it to make me as wet as possible for him.

Kakashi rolls the last inch of rubber onto himself, then turns on his side to face me, still holding the rim of the condom in place with his hand.

Still worn out from my recent orgasm, I flip myself on my side facing away from him so that he can enter me from behind. If he insists on wearing me out even more, then I'm sorry, but he's going to have to do all the work! I'll just have to make it up to him the next time around!

I feel him rub his tip up and down my now soaked slit a few times before I feel the pressure of him slowly enter, sinking deeper and deeper inside of me. Kakashi and I let out a mutual groan of relief when he's finally completely in.

Slowly, I feel him pull himself partway out before slowly sliding himself back in. It feels incredibly good, so much so that I want nothing more than for him to do what he's doing over and over again. So I reach behind me, put my hand on his hip, and silently tell him that. Kakashi obliges without hesitation.

After several of his hard thrusts, I learn that if I don't put my hands up against the wall that my side of the bed is pushed up against, then Kakashi is probably going to push me right up against it. So to brace myself and for better leverage I lay my hands flat against the wall and push hard against it at the same time Kakashi pushes himself hard into me.

And to give _himself_ better leverage, Kakashi lifts my leg up high in the air and readjusts his angle to drive himself into me even deeper.

Before long, our breaths are coming out in uneven huffs and we're both getting close. I can tell that I am because once again the ball of heat deep inside of me is building up, and I can tell that Kakashi is by the way he's no longer pushing into me with long, measured strokes, but with short, erratic ones whose sole purpose is to drive into me as quickly as possible, and being Kakashi, that means at an inhuman speed that my poor body can't take for much longer. I'm already feeling the waves of pleasure overtake me when Kakashi brings his hand to my front and rubs his fingertips against my clit as quickly as he's pistoning himself in and out of me. Needing some form of release, I scream as hard as I can into the mattress, but even through my screams I still hear Kakashi's loud groan as he, too, reaches his climax.

Kakashi pushes himself as hard as he can into me one last time, but rather than immediately pull out afterwards, he keeps himself buried deep inside of me, and pulls me into his embrace, curling his body around me so that his chest is pressed hard against my back. Then, he lifts his head off the pillow, kisses me on the cheek, and says to me panting: "And good morning to you!"

I laugh and snuggle deeper into his embrace.

Yes, it's _definitely_ a good morning!

To be continued...

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Medical info about "that":

answerbag(dot)com/q_view/151651


	44. 1st Goodbyes Are Always the Hardest

I don't care if I sound like a broken record because I mean it: Thank you to everyone who reviewed, faved, alerted, and continues to read this story. You make my day and motivate me to keep going! Thank you! ^_^

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**Chapter 44-****First Goodbyes Are Always the Hardest  
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"Well this is a bit of role reversal, isn't it?" Kakashi asks as he walks up from behind me and stands close to my side.

"Well, if you can tell Obito about the two of us dating, then I can tell _her_ the good news about our engagement." I smile without averting my eyes from the sand colored tombstone in front of me.

Kakashi puts an arm around my shoulders, pulls me against his side, and gently kisses me on the top of the head.

"Are you sure you didn't just make her roll over in her grave instead?" he asks.

I burst out laughing and quickly cover my mouth with my hand in guilt. In such a setting people are supposed to behave quietly and solemnly, not laugh out loud at the deceased's expense, but when I look up at Kakashi to berate him for making me laugh inappropriately in the first place, I see that his eye isn't creased up the way it usually is when he's smiling.

"Oh my God, you're serious!" I look up at him in disbelief. "Kakashi...you said it yourself: Chiyo-sama didn't have anything against _you_, it was your father she was after."

"It doesn't change the fact that her greatest enemy's son is going to marry the girl who sacrificed her life for her."

"Yes, but the girl who sacrificed her life for her has had her own life saved several times over by her greatest enemy's son, so all things considered I'd say that everyone's even, wouldn't you? Besides, since when did you start caring about what other people, living or dead, think about us?"

"Good point," he says, his eye creasing upward this time as he smiles beneath his mask. "I think my powers of persuasion might be rubbing off on you."

"I was only stating the facts, Kakashi."

"Which is key to good persuasion."

"Ah...So is that how you got me to say 'yes' to you?"

"I got you to say 'yes' to me because you've been wanting to say 'yes' to me all along."

"A bit presumptuous there, aren't we?"

"Like you said, Sakura, I'm only stating the facts. Besides, I was right, wasn't I? You did say 'yes' to me, after all," he says, quickly ruffling my hair the way he used to when I was younger.

I duck out from under his hand and scowl at him, at a loss for words for a good comeback when a loud, obnoxious voice breaks through the otherwise still morning air yelling "Don't you two ever give it a rest?!" causing Kakashi and me to immediately put an end to our...banter? Lover's quarrel? Foreplay?

"Good morning to you, too, Naruto." I say through gritted teeth, moving my scowl away from Kakashi and to him instead. "And everyone else apparently," I say, my eyes widening in surprise because following close behind Naruto is Yamato, the Three Sand Siblings, and the rest of the convoy that had traveled with us to Wind and is now traveling with us back to Fire.

"You didn't think we'd let you leave without saying goodbye to us first, did you?" Temari asks with a wry smile.

"I wouldn't dream of doing such a thing." I smile back at her as we hug each other goodbye. Then I, as well as the rest of Team Kakashi, proceed to say goodbye to the few people who will be left behind in Wind.

"What're you saying goodbye to me for?" Madam Shijimi asks me suddenly. "I'm going back to Fire with you!"

"You are?!" I ask in shocked unison with everyone else.

"Of course! My husband may be an ass, but he's still my husband. Besides, do you really think I let him leave things the way he did last night?! Believe me, I gave him quite an earful once we were up in our guestroom!" Madam Shijimi says with her arms folded in front of her chest, chin held high, and a proud look on her face.

"She even got him to apologize to Shinri and me first thing this morning. I don't how, but she did!" Hiraku says with a bright smile.

"So does that mean you're coming back to Fire Country with us, too?" I ask Hiraku.

"Oh, no! Like I said before, all I ever wanted was to start a new life with Shinri, so that's what we're going to do...Here in Wind. If we go back to Fire, I just know that my father will do everything in his power to try and separate Shinri and me and we'll never get to truly live our lives in peace. The way things turned out really is for the best, like a blessing in disguise."

"So you don't mind giving it all up then: the wealth, the servants, the power of being born noble?" I ask, surprised by what Hiraku is willing to sacrifice to be with Shinri.

"Well, it's not like I'm going to be giving up _everything_. Shinri's still working in the royal stables, after all, and-"

"And just because my idiot of a husband doesn't want to help his own daughter financially doesn't mean that I won't! I have control over our finances, too. I made sure of that before I officially married that hard-assed fool. Mark my words, my daughter is never going to live in poverty as long as I'm still around!" Madam Shijimi says emphatically.

We all smile at Madam Shijimi. She isn't the flighty, frivolous woman we had all mistaken her for back when she had hired Team 7 to find her lost cat all those years ago, but apparently we aren't the only ones she had fooled.

"Ma, I really wish I had known this side of you back when I was growing up. I think we would've gotten along so much better! And now that I've finally seen this kickass side of you, you're leaving." Hiraku says downhearted, going over to her mother and giving her a hug.

"Better late than never." Madam Shijimi says, hugging her daughter back. "Besides, I'm not leaving forever. I'll come visit you as often as I can and we can do all the mother-daughter bonding you want then, okay?"

Hiraku says nothing and merely nods her head in her mother's embrace. We soon come to realize that the reason she isn't saying anything is because she's crying and doesn't want to bring attention to that fact. So it's of little surprise that when she finally does speak that her words come out barely above a whisper. "Thank you...for everything." Hiraku tells her mother.

"You're welcome. You know there's nothing I wouldn't do for my only baby," Madam Shijimi smiles softly, lifting her daughter's face up and gently brushing away the loose hairs from her face.

"I'll miss you." Hiraku says sincerely.

"I'll miss you, too." Madam Shijimi says, then kisses her daughter tenderly on the forehead before finally letting her go.

Hiraku looks weakened, like saying goodbye has drained her of all her strength, but thankfully Shinri immediately swoops in and takes Hiraku into his embrace instead.

With her cheek pressed against his chest and her face turned to the side, Hiraku's eyes inevitably fall on Kakashi and me.

"And thank you, Sakura-chan and Kakashi-kun, for being so persistent with Shinri and me in spite of how stubborn we both were. If it weren't for you, Shinri and I wouldn't even be together right now. You taught us that love is no less valid or worth fighting for even when it's not what most people would call conventional, and because of that, you truly changed our lives for the better and we're forever indebted to you." Hiraku says, seeming truly content to be in her true love's arms.

Hiraku's use of informal rather than formal honorifics to address Kakashi and me isn't lost on us...Hiraku no longer considers us as merely ninjas for hire, but as her friends. However, this leaves Kakashi and me in a quandary: So do we dare address her just as informally to show that the feeling of friendship is mutual (because it truly is now)? Or do we still address her as "hime" to maintain our respect for her and prevent accidentally insulting her?

Seeing how she had been the one to start with the informalities, I decide to be brave and go with the former.

"You're welcome, Hiraku-chan. We wouldn't have done what we did if we didn't believe that what you and Shinri had was for real, and once we were convinced that it was, it felt like we had no choice but to protect it. So we're just happy that we were able to help in any way we could and that it all worked out for you both." I smile at her.

Hiraku smiles warmly back, and to Kakashi's and my relief, she doesn't seem offended by the new form of address. In fact, she seems both relieved and pleased that I decided to respond informally in turn, showing that I think of her as a friend as well and not just as a princess to show respect to.

"Well, if you two are ever in need of help, we'll be more than happy to give you ours. It's the least we can do," she tells Kakashi and me.

"Thank you, Hiraku-chan." Kakashi and I smile in thanks.

"Well," Madam Shijimi says with her own big, bright smile on her face, "What are we all waiting for? Let's go home!"

We agree and Kakashi momentarily leaves my side to start gathering up all the camels and servants to get them ready for the long journey. Meanwhile, the rest of us say our last goodbyes: Naruto and Gaara thumping each other on the back with a "man hug," and me finishing my one-sided conversation with Chiyo.

"Don't worry, Chiyo-sama. Kakashi's a good man and we honestly love each other. He'll never purposely hurt me. If anything, he'll only try to protect me. That's just the kind of man he is. We'll be okay, you'll see." I promise her.

After the last servant is seated securely in her seat atop a camel, I watch as Kakashi quickly makes his way back towards me.

"You ready?" he asks.

But before I can answer, a mini dust devil rises up from the ground below our feet, encircles Kakashi and me long enough to briefly play with our hair and clothes, then just as quickly as it came, dissipates back into nothingness.

"That was odd." Kakashi muses, lightly sweeping away the grains of sand that have settled on his clothes and in his hair, but for me the occurrence completely makes sense.

We have her blessing.

I gently caress Chiyo's tombstone one last time, tell Kakashi that yes, I'm ready now, and never look back as Kakashi and I walk away from the graveyard with our arms wrapped around each others waist.

~*~*~*~

It isn't until Hiraku, Shinri, and the Three Sand Siblings are small dots in the distance that I finally decide to say something to Madam Shijimi.

"I'm really impressed, Shijimi-sama. You said goodbye to Hiraku-chan so easily. I was sure that we were going to have to drag you away from her, but you didn't even put up a fight or shed a tear."

"Sakura-chan," Madam Shijimi says solemnly, her eyes looking curiously bright and shiny. "Why do you think I was in such a hurry to leave in the first place? I wanted to get out of there as soon as I could before I changed my mind! I can't believe I just said goodbye to my baby. My ONLY baby!" Madam Shijimi wails, burying her face in her hands and suddenly bursting into tears.

Kakashi and I pass each other a look and he maneuvers our camel closer to hers so that I can pat Madam Shijimi consolingly on the back. I try hard not to laugh...Madam Shijimi has proven herself to be a strong-willed woman, one who should never be messed with especially when she's in all her protective Mama Bear mode glory, but even then one thing remains the same: A mother, no matter how tough she may be, will always have a difficult time in finally letting her child - whom she loves with all her heart - go.

To be continued...

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This chapter is dedicated to **Juniper11** because she figured out 3 chapters ago that I was going to have Madam Shijimi have another talk with her husband for being too harsh with their daughter. I just think it's funny when my readers "suggest" something and it just so happens that I'm already planning to write it exactly that way. Something about like minds thinking alike or it proving that they're paying _really_ close attention the story! :P

Happy Holidays everyone and Happy New Year! ^_^


	45. KakaSaku 1st Make Plans for Their Future

Thank you to everyone who kindly reviewed, faved, alerted, and continues to read this story!

Just wanted to squeeze a little "feel good" fluff in before Christmas. ^_^

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**Chapter 45-When Kakashi and Sakura First Make Plans for Their Future**

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Maybe it was because the road was familiar to us by now, having traveled down it once already, making it seem shorter than last time. Maybe it was because we were subconsciously moving faster, our desire to finally get home spurring us on. Or maybe it was because our hearts and minds were simply lighter now, the problems from before no longer weighing us down and burdening us, but for whatever the reason, Kakashi, myself, and the rest of our traveling companions find ourselves closer to home in no time at all. Now, at the border of Wind and River, Kakashi and I sit once more beneath what has now become "our tree" and speak quietly of our plans for the future.

"Are you sure?" he asks.

"I'm positive."

"Sakura, if you're worried about the costs, you really shouldn't be. I only duck out on the bill when we all go out to eat because I think it's funny." Kakashi says with a happy eye crease. "The truth is, I have more than enough money saved up from all the ANBU and other high rank missions I've had through the years."

"And I have more than enough money saved up from my own missions, and from working as Shishou's apprentice at the administration building, _and_ from working at the hospital as their top medic, so money isn't the issue, Kakashi. The real reason I want a small wedding is because it suits us better: I know that you like to keep to yourself, and personally, I'd prefer to be surrounded by familiar faces on my wedding day than by relative strangers."

"Alright then, Sakura." Kakashi says with another happy eye crease. "A small wedding it is. Any place in particular you want to have it?"

"Well, I was thinking about the top of the Hokage Monument since that's where we had our first date. What do you think?"

"It's a great idea and I'd say yes in heartbeat, but to be honest, Sakura, I don't think it's very practical."

"It's not?"

"Well, no. You probably don't know this since the first time you went up there was when we went together, but it's actually quite windy and chilly up there most of the time. We just got _really_ lucky when we went, but trust me, it's not someplace you want to spend long periods of time at. What do you think about the rooftop of the administration building instead? That way we'll still be close to the monument, but it won't be as cold."

"That'll work." I concede. "The administration building is where you first kissed me on New Year's Day and where things between us were first set into motion, so yeah, I think that'll be perfect. Not to mention it'll be really convenient to move everyone inside for the reception or if it rains during the ceremony. I definitely want Shishou to marry us, though."

"Of course, that's a given, she's like a second mom to you. Besides, can you imagine what would happen if we chose anybody else to marry us? She'd punch us both straight out of Konoha and exile us for life!"

"Yes, she definitely would!" I laugh in agreement. "Oh, and I want Ino to be my maid of honor and for her to do all the floral arrangements."

"Again, a given."

"...And Hinata, Tenten, and Temari to be my bridesmaids."

"Another given."

"Well, who are you choosing for your best man, then? Naruto?" I ask irately, wanting to have my turn at saying "That's a given."

"Actually, I was thinking about asking Tenzo since, you know, he _is_ my best man."

"Oh." I say in a down tone.

Kakashi's eye widens.

"What? You think I should ask Naruto instead?"

"No, no, no! I didn't mean it like that! I was just disappointed because I didn't get to say 'That's a given.'" I laugh.

"But Naruto's going to be really disappointed, isn't he?"

"Well, you know how he gets, all loud and demanding, but it is _your_ wedding, after all, and you should be able to chose whoever you want for your best man. Besides, you and Yamato-teichou have been together since ANBU and once Naruto calms down a bit, I'm sure he'll understand."

"God, I hope you're right because the last thing I need is to have a jinchuuriki angry at me!"

"Well, if Naruto tries to beat you up, he'll have to go through me first and we all know how much he fears me!" I smile devilishly. I always did take pride in that, especially since Naruto is one of, if not _the_ most powerful ninja of our generation.

"Great. Do you have any idea what that'll do to my reputation? '_Copy Nin Sharingan Kakashi cowers behind his newly wed wife while his other former student tries to beat the crap out of him_.'" Kakashi says in a false newscaster voice, slapping a hand over his face in humiliation.

I laugh and pat his arm consolingly.

"Well if it helps, you know how the old saying goes: Behind every great man is a powerful woman."

"Unless that great man is cowering _behind_ that powerful woman." Kakashi amends.

I laugh again and smile at Kakashi.

This is why I agreed to marry him: Because he makes me laugh, he makes me happy, and I feel completely and utterly at home with him.

"What?" Kakashi asks, confused by the way I'm looking at him.

"Nothing." I lie, still smiling at him. "So your birthday, huh?" I say, purposely changing the subject.

"Yes, but if you want to do it another day, then that's okay, too."

"No, I think your birthday will be perfect. Like you said, that way you'll never forget our anniversary and the weather isn't too hot or too cold."

"September 15 of this year then?" Kakashi asks.

"No, I was thinking next year will be better. I've always heard that it's best to plan a wedding a year ahead of time so that it can be properly arranged without getting too overwhelmed. Besides, our turning into a couple and getting engaged all happened kind of fast. I mean, I know we've already know each other for a decade, but it'd still be nice to have a full year to simply date and enjoy each others company, don't you? It'll be like a year of firsts for us. First Valentine's, first Christmas, my first birthday with you as my boyfriend..."

"_My_ first birthday with you as my girlfriend..."

"And then the following year when we celebrate your birthday again, I'll be your wife and you'll be my husband."

"That does sound nice." Kakashi agrees, kissing me on the temple while I lean back and rest my head against his chest, his arms wrapped warmly on top of mine.

By the time it was time to get up and get going again, there were only a few other issues left up in the air, like what kind of food would be served at the reception, who would do our music and what songs he or she would play, and whether or not Kakashi was going to take his mask off when it was time to kiss the bride. Kakashi insisted that he'd kiss me with his mask still on and I insisted that he'd do no such thing, but other than that we left the shade of "our tree" feeling relatively good about the plans we had made for the coming new year and looking forward to simply being together and experiencing a year of firsts in this one.

To be continued...

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Merry Christmas, everyone, and just in case I don't get to update next week, Happy New Year as well! ^_^


	46. 1st Time Learn What Marriage Rly Is

Thank you to everybody who has read, reviewed, faved and alerted this story throughout the year. Seeing how this story was only supposed to be a 300 word drabble, you've proven that a few kind words really do go a long way. You've encouraged me through writer's blocks, moves, family crises, and basically a not so great year, so thank you for making a not so great year a better one for me! See you in 2009! Happy New Year, everyone! ^_^

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**Chapter 46-The First Time Sakura Learns What Marriage Really Is****

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There's just something about being back home, especially after having been gone for a _very_ long time. It's just such a comfort and relief to be back where you know where everything is, how everything works, and everything in general is simply familiar and more convenient.

As much as I had enjoyed the openness and foreignness of Wind Country with its clear, blue skies soaring high above my head and flat desert land spread out infinitely all around me (except in the busy, crowded streets of Suna itself, of course) I prefer being back in Fire Country with its thick overhanging canopies of leaves and branches and dappled rays of sunlight. It makes me feel sheltered, protected, safe and sound...at home.

Home.

The mere thought of it makes me feel a warm, wrenching feeling around my heart that slightly hurts, but it's good to feel that longing kind of pain every now and then...It reminds you to be grateful for what you have and sometimes (sometimes too many times) take for granted.

"You look eager to get back," a voice next to me states rather than asks.

"I am." I smile. "It's always the same when I leave for a mission: First, I can't wait to just leave and go to a new place and experience life differently from the way that I'm used to, but once the mission is over and we're headed back for home, all I want is to get home as quickly as possible, take a shower, and crawl into my own bed. Even the softest, most comfortable bed up in the castle can't compare to sleeping in my own...No offense." I quickly add.

"None taken. I feel the same way. I can't wait to get home either!" Madam Shijimi laughs in agreement.

I take a sidelong look at her, wondering if it's even proper to ask, but know that if I don't, then I'll always regret not having done so.

"Do you mind if I ask you a personal question?" I say tentatively.

"Not at all. Go right on ahead," she smiles at me kindly enough.

"Well, seeing how we're almost back to the castle I was just wondering...How can you go back to your husband after all the things he said and the awful way he acted?" I ask in a quick rush, wanting to get it all out before I change my mind and say nothing at all.

Madam Shijimi looks at me for awhile without saying a word and I worry if I had gone too far. Sure, I have a closer relationship with her than most Fire Country citizens after all we've been through, but she's still the daimyo's wife and her husband is the daimyo himself. It's not my place to question her reasons for going back to him, no matter how big of a jerk he may be.

"I'm sorry." I apologize. "I'm completely out of line. I didn't mean to-"

"No, honey. Don't worry, you haven't offended me." Madam Shijimi says, gently squeezing my arm in reassurance. "I'm just trying to figure out the best way to explain this to you."

For a moment her eyes leave mine and wander to the back of Kakashi's jounin flak vest as he continues to walk a few paces ahead of us with Yamato, but when she looks back to me, her eyes are bright, like she's figured it out.

"Alright, sweetheart. So this is how it is..." Madam Shijimi looks down at me sagely, the way all mothers seem to when they're passing down wisdom regardless of whether or not the person they're speaking to is actually their child. "The first and most important thing you need to remember is that marriage is one of the _most_ difficult things that you'll ever do in your life. When you're young and haven't experienced it yet, it's easy to imagine marriage as this ideal, this _goal_ of living 'happily ever after,' but that's not what marriage really is."

"It isn't? What is it then?" I ask, genuinely intrigued.

"Well, once the big, extravagant party of a wedding is over...Because that's all it really is: A big party...And the honeymoon is over...Which is just a vacation meant to procrastinate the inevitable..._That's_ when the real marriage begins and _that's_ when you quickly come to realize what marriage _really_ is: The commitment to spend the rest of your life with only one other person no matter how badly they get on your nerves!"

I laugh, but Madam Shijimi's "I'm serious!" quickly sobers me up.

"Honey, you just asked me how I could go back to my husband after all the bad things he said and did, and there's your answer: Any long-term relationship is going to have its rough patches and the only way to make sure that relationship continues to last is to learn how to tolerate and accept differences in opinion and move on. When I agreed to marry Urusai, I already knew what his personality was like and how he reacted to certain situations. I just needed to make sure that I was okay with that and with _him_ even when he's at his worst, and since Urusai basically acts like a bratty baby when he's angry and doesn't act any worse than that, I figured I could deal with that and so I agreed to marry him."

"But wouldn't it be better to just find someone who doesn't act like that in the first place?" I ask.

"Sweetie, nobody's perfect, and if you do find someone who never gets angry and never gets on your nerves, then that person is a living, breathing saint! No...a God! You can't expect to find the 'perfect' person because neither you, or I, or anybody else is or ever will be perfect. Like I said, the most you can hope for is to find someone you can deal with even after you've seen him at his worst and he's seen _you_ at your worst.

"I know it's been said a thousand times before, but the reason it's so overused is because it's true: Marriage really is about compromise and communication. It's what ensures that you'll get along with the person you're with in the long run, because trust me, when you've been with someone for a very long time, he _will_ get on your nerves at some point!" Madam Shijimi says with conviction. "Boy, will he ever!" she adds, shaking her head ruefully.

I laugh again and this time Madam Shijimi laughs with me.

"But don't let me scare you. Marriage may be one of the most difficult things you may do in your life, but it's also one of the most worthwhile. When things are bad, they're bad, and when things are good, they're SO good," she smiles warmly at me.

"I'm glad you told me this," I tell her. "What's been going on between Kakashi and me has been happening so fast that I question if what I'm doing is the right thing, but at least now I know that it is. I've known him for half my life, I've seen him at his worst, and I _know_ that I can put up with him, and I know he can put up with me, and really, that's the important part because with my temper, not a lot of people can handle me!"

Kakashi suddenly laughs in agreement several feet ahead of us and I come to realize it isn't just a coincidence, he's been listening in on my conversation with Madam Shijimi this entire time with his super-sensitive hearing.

I narrow my eyes at the back of his head and whisper in my softest voice so that not even Madam Shijimi, who's standing right next to me, can hear, "If you eavesdrop on me again, I swear I'll buy a dog whistle and use it against you!"

Kakashi visibly stiffens in fear and turns to face Yamato to really, REALLY concentrate on what he's saying instead.

I smile in triumph.

"What?" Madam Shijimi drawls with a crooked smile on her face.

"If the worst Kakashi can do is annoy me every now and then, I think we'll be okay in the long run." I smile back at her.

Then, from the corner of my eye, I see something quickly whiz by just inches from her head, and another one headed straight for her.

"NO!" I scream.

I quickly push Madam Shijimi aside, pull a kunai out from my holster, and divert the shuriken away with the flat of my blade.

"We're being attacked!" I scream at Kakashi and the others, but when I turn to look at them, they're already deflecting shurikens with their own blades.

"Scatter!" Kakashi instructs the unarmed members of our convoy.

In an instant, maids and servant boys alike dart in different directions through the densely thicketed woods.

On the way to Suna and on the way back, Kakashi had instructed every member of our convoy on what to do in case we were attacked.

"We're a large group," Kakashi had explained, "And unless their number equals or exceeds ours, the enemy can't go after each and every one of us, so you need to scatter. There aren't enough of us to protect all of you, so that's your best chance of survival. Keep moving and don't move in a straight line. It's more difficult to hit a moving target, especially one that's moving erratically. Find a place to hide. Even a cat can't catch a mouse if it's deep inside a crack in the wall. Don't worry about finding us, we'll find you. I have tracking dogs, so don't worry, we WILL find you again, but the most important thing to remember is to MOVE and to HIDE."

After all the servants had done exactly what they were told, our enemies are systematically flushed out of their hiding places thanks to Kakashi, Yamato, and Naruto.

There are four of them in total and their hitai-ates are engraved with the music note indicative of Sound Nin, but they aren't the Sound Four who were obliterated by mere genins and one chuunin a decade ago. This is another team, one that none of us have ever encountered before, consisting of three males and one female, and although the female is nothing in comparison, at least size wise, to her teammates, just the way she carries herself tells us that she's the leader of the pack.

"She means nothing to you," the female states, referring to Madam Shijimi, "So just hand her over and we can all go home happy," she says with one of the most wicked grins I have ever seen, second only to Orochimaru's.

"You couldn't be more wrong." I glare at her, adjusting my stance and tightening my grip around my kunai as she slowly circles Madam Shijimi and me. Her movements are too smooth, too cat-like. Even with me standing in front of Madam Shijimi for protection, I can sense that I won't be quick enough to stop this enemy if she decides to suddenly dart around me. I need back up, someone who can read her every move before she pounces.

I need Kakashi. I need him and his Sharingan.

But Kakashi is several yards away fighting his own fight with the largest and most formidable looking of the four, and Naruto and Yamato can't come to my aid either. Naruto has summoned so many Shadow Clones on the other side of the tree break that I can no longer tell which one is the real him, and Yamato is driving his Sound Nin further and further away from Madam Shijimi with his Mokuton Jutsu, but consequently he's beyond my reach for help as well.

"You look panicked," the cat-like Sound Nin says teasingly. "What? Does the pretty little princess need one of her princes to come rescue her? Can't fight your own fight, is that it?" she asks with that infuriating evil grin.

"I am NOT helpless!" I snap and punch the ground in front of me so hard that it erupts into a pile of stone and rubble at my feet, creating a chasm between me and the cat Sound Nin, but she jumps backwards light and easy, as if I had simply flicked a feather her way.

"Ooo...Seems I've hit a sore spot," she says delightedly. "Well won't this be fun, _weakling_?" she says viciously.

Letting my temper get the better of me, I grab the largest boulder I can find without leaving Madam Shijimi and hurl it with all my chakra strength at the cat Sound Nin.

Again, she jumps lightly away, but not quite fast enough. The edge of the boulder literally wipes the snide smirk off of her face, causing blood to gush from the corner of her mouth. She wipes at it with the back of her hand and when she realizes the smudge on her pale skin is actually blood, her head quickly snaps up, her eyes glaring at me.

"You BITCH!!!" she screams at me, then pounces so high up in the air that she closes the distance between us in no time at all, tackling me down to the ground so that I'm flat on my back with her on top.

Sharp, razor-like claws shoot out from her knuckles aimed straight for my face.

I quickly grab her wrists with my hands and push her off with my legs and feet.

She somersaults over my head and lands lightly on her feet about a yard away.

Then, crouching down on all fours and hunching her back like a true feline, she screeches the most ear-splitting sound I've ever heard, a cross between a cat's yowl and the high pitched sound of fingernails raked against chalkboard. The painful noise pierces through the forest, causing each and every one of us, even her own teammates, to cover our ears with our hands.

From my bowed down position, I see Kakashi in the far distance also bowed down, ears covered, looking straight back at me.

_Help._ I tell him wordlessly, because for all my chakra strength, I'm of no use with a long range enemy like this cat nin.

Kakashi doesn't say a word, doesn't even mouth it, but I can see it in his eyes, "I'm coming," he tells me, yet he's still nowhere near where I need him to be right at this moment.

Suddenly, a burning stab of pain tears through my body like fire, originating from my stomach, and I realize a second too late that the cat nin had used my distraction to her advantage, closing the gap between us to stab me with her four sword-like claws.

"NO!!!" I hear four different voices shout simultaneously, but my eyes are focused only on one person.

I see him trying to run towards me, but he keeps getting thrown off course as one and then another of the cat nin's teammates try to stop him.

I see Naruto and Yamato trying to help, but to no avail.

I taste copper in my mouth, even smell it in the air, and when I raise my hand to touch the warmth I feel spilling from my mouth, I see dark blood on my fingertips.

I look desperately around me feeling dizzy and weak, and for some reason the trees that should be emerald green are now a monochromatic shade of gray, and the people who I know should be wearing orange and black, and blue and green, are now only dark silhouettes blurred at the edges.

My ears are muted, almost deaf, like I'm listening to everyone and everything underwater.

But I hear Kakashi.

I hear his unmistakable cry of "RAIKIRI!!!" and see the crackling electric ball of light as it pierces through the silhouette with the gleaming white teeth and infuriating evil grin.

"Kakashi..." I say, not even knowing if I'm saying his name loud enough to be heard, but he's the last thing I hear, the last thing I see, and the last thing to bring me both joy and relief before the world around me fades to nothing at all.

To be continued...

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Um...Happy New Year?


	47. 1st of Many Things to Come

Happy New Year! I hope everyone is having a good 2009 so far!

Just wanted to start the year off by saying thanks to everyone who continues to read and review this story! I really appreciate it! ^_^

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**Chapter 47-The First of Many Things Yet To Come**

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**

_"I'll get him a cot. It can't be comfortable for him sleeping like that."_

_"Was he here all night again?"_

_"All day, all night...He never leaves! He hasn't set foot outside that door since they brought her in! He says he wants to be here when she wakes up."_

_"Really..."_

_"Yes, he won't even go down to the cafeteria to eat. We started to get so worried about him that the other nurses and I just started to bring food up to him, but even then he barely touches it."_

_"I see. He...really cares for her, doesn't he?"_

_"Well, let me just put it this way, sir: Hatake Kakashi isn't the kind of man who likes to show how he feels, but with her, with your daughter...I know it may not be the most conventional of relationships, but it's certainly not the worst either, especially when you see them together...like this."_

_"Yes, I see what you mean. Thank you..."_

_"Fujo."_

_"Fujo. You've been a tremendous help in more ways than one."_

_"You're welcome, sir, and if there's anything else you need, just push the call button by her bed and either I or another nurse will -- Sir, what's wrong?"_

_"I'm sorry, but I thought I just saw-"_

_"Oh my God! I saw it, too! Stay right here, sir, I'm going to get a doctor..."_

_"Sakura? Sweetheart? Can you hear me? It's Daddy. If you can hear me, honey, try to move your finger again, okay?"_

_..._

_"Oh my God!"_

_"...What's going on?"_

_"Kakashi, wake up! I just saw her move!"_

_"WHAT?! When?!"_

_"Just now!"_

_"Sakura, can you hear me? It's me, Kakashi."_

_"Ask her to move her finger."_

_"Sakura, if you can hear me, try to move -- Oh my God! Did you just see that?!"_

_"Yes, I did!"_

_"We need to get a doctor!"_

_"The nurse is already getting one."_

...Warm. My entire body feels warm.

My arms...feel like someone has placed them neatly at my sides.

Pitch black darkness.

Eyes...opening up on their own, as if they know it's time to wake up.

Blurry. Colors...all in a haze.

Edges...getting sharper.

Shapes...taking form.

People...standing around my bed.

Black mask...one eye...creased up in a smile...

Kakashi.

Glasses...all wet and fogged up...

Daddy.

"Oh, Sakura! Thank God you're awake! We thought we'd lost you!" my dad says.

"I came here as fast as I could!" says a pig-tailed blond who rushes into the room.

"Tsunade-sama!" Kakashi and my dad say in unified surprise.

"Is it true? Fujo said that she just saw Sakura move her -- Oh my God! You're awake!" Shishou exclaims.

I blink my eyes. Of course I'm awake! Why is everyone making such a big deal about it?

"Sakura, don't you ever, _ever_ scare us like that again!" Shishou admonishes me. "Do you have any idea what you put us all through making us worry over you like that?!"

"..._how_?" I stop, shocked by how weak and raspy my voice just came out. I was meaning to ask how the heck I scared everyone, but "How?" seems to be all my vocal chords can manage at the moment. I touch my hand to my throat and look around at everyone in confusion.

"Sakura, don't you remember what happened to you?" my dad asks.

I start to shake my head "No," but a pounding headache rips through my forehead, temples, and right between my eyes, causing me to stop immediately and hold my head in my hands instead.

"Easy, easy!" Shishou warns me.

"Is she going to be alright? What happened? Why can't she remember?" my dad asks Shishou in concern, but Shishou ignores him and focuses all her attention on me instead.

"Sakura, just hold your head still. I'm going to do a couple of tests, okay?"

First, Shishou takes out a small flashlight from the inside pocket of her green coat and swings it back and forth quickly in front of my eyes. Then, she asks me to follow the movement of her finger as she traces the path of an imaginary letter "H" in the air.

"Do you remember who I am?" she asks.

"Shishou." I say, my voice still raspy and weak.

"And who is he?"

"Daddy."

"Yes, sweetie," dad says, squeezing my hand tight and smiling down at me.

"And him?"

How could I ever forget?

"Kakashi." I smile up at him, and even with his mask on I know that he's smiling back.

"Well," Shishou says, "Her eyes are responding fine and she remembers who we all are, so there doesn't seem to be any neurological damage, but I'll order a CT scan just to be on the safe side. Don't worry, Mr. Haruno. It's normal for there to be a bit of short term amnesia, especially after a trauma."

"Trauma?" I ask.

Shishou, Daddy, and Kakashi all pass each other a look, but it's Kakashi who speaks up.

"We were in the middle of a mission, Sakura. We were almost home when the convoy we were protecting was attacked. It all happened so fast. I tried to get to you, to protect you, but you were just too far away. One of the enemies, she singled you out and-" Kakashi stops abruptly and covers his face with both of his hands.

To my surprise, my dad carefully places one comforting hand on Kakashi's back and tells him gently, "You brought her home. She's safe now, Kakashi."

I look up at Shishou expecting her to be as surprised as I am by the kind gesture, but she doesn't seem fazed at all.

_Geez! How much did I miss while I was asleep?!_ I wonder.

"You've been in a coma for three days." Shishou answers my unspoken question. "The enemy you were fighting, the one Kakashi killed, was an S-class Sound nin. In the bingo books, she can be found under the name Neko."

Neko...Cat.

Like bits and pieces of a dream I remember a Cheshire smile, a piercing noise cutting through the forest, bowing down and covering my ears with my hands, and an enemy with too fluid movements circling me and-

"Madam Shijimi!" I suddenly remember. "Is she-" I ask, a wave of panic overwhelming me.

"She's fine, Sakura, don't worry!" Shishou tries to calm me. "You did your job well. Madam Shijimi and all her servants made it back to the castle safe and sound. Naruto and Yamato made sure of that while Kakashi brought you back here to Konoha."

"How?" I ask, because as fast as Kakashi is, there's no way he could've leapt the tree branches fast enough to get me back to Konoha in time, and even though his Shadow Clones can easily poof from one location to another, the real Kakashi can't simply take me into his arms and poof us both back to Konoha either. That's why we have to go through the trouble of actually journeying to our destinations rather than simply poofing ourselves there like a genie.

"Naruto summoned Gamabunta for you and Kakashi to ride on," Shishou explains. "And since you were already close to home, it was literally only a couple of frog leaps for him to get you straight to Konoha Hospital. It wasn't long before I heard what had happened to you, and ever since then Shizune, Ino, and I have been taking turns healing you."

"How bad?" I ask with a grimace, both wanting and not wanting to know.

"Well, you were stabbed in four separate locations in the abdomen, and to be honest, I was afraid you weren't going to make it." Shishou shakes her head solemnly. "As it is, it's a miracle you're still alive."

"How _am_ I still alive?" I ask confused. Some people barely make it out alive with a single stab wound and yet somehow I made it through with four!

"You're not going to believe this." Kakashi laughs, shaking his head as if he still can't believe it himself.

"If you had been stabbed a quarter of an inch in either direction," Shishou says, "It wouldn't have mattered how long and hard we poured our chakra into you, it wouldn't have made any difference, but to answer your question, the first stab wound took out your appendix."

"_My appendix?!_"

"Hold on, it gets even better." Kakashi says.

"It really does," my dad agrees, and somehow I feel like everyone is in on a joke except me!

Shishou glares at the two men for having interrupted her, and having experienced that particular irritated glare myself, I know that either of them will dare interrupt her again.

"The second stab wound took out one of your kidneys," Shishou continues on, "But as you know, you can survive with only one. The third stab wound took out a chunk of your liver, but fortunately the liver regenerates on its own anyway, and the fourth stab wound caused some damage to your intestines, so we essentially had to give you gastric bypass surgery, but since it wasn't a full on one, don't think that you can eat whatever you want and not get fat!"

"I don't believe it." I say in shock, because of all the places I could've been stabbed, I was hit in all the least lethal places! Then again, Shishou did say she didn't think I'd make it and we all know how bad she is with her bets...

"You're a very, _very_ lucky young woman," Shishou states, "But what happened to you isn't without consequence. Although those stab wounds didn't kill you, it did take quite a toll on your body, so don't think that you'll be out and about anytime soon. And when you do finally leave here, you're going to need help with the simplest of things: dressing, bathing, going to the bathroom...So you're going to have to stay with someone or have someone stay with you until _I_ say that you're back to one hundred percent or as close to it as possible considering all the injuries you've suffered."

"You can come back home and stay with me and your mom. We've missed having you around anyway," dad says brightly, gently rubbing my blanket covered leg.

I simply smile back at him and say nothing because as much as I love my parents, coming back home is the last thing I want to do. Leaving home was my sign of independence and moving back in would be like a step backwards. Not only that, I know that Mom and Dad will fuss over me the entire time, and unlike Madam Shijimi, they haven't quite learned the difference between "smother" and "mother" yet.

"Ino has also offered to take you back in as her roommate or she can move in with you and act as a full-time medic at your own apartment." Shishou says.

Although slightly better, it's again not one of the best offers I've heard so far. I love Ino and she's my best friend, but she can also _really_ get on my nerves. That's why we barely spent one year as roommates before I decided to just find a place of my own.

I feel a hand gently squeeze mine and when I turn my head, I see Kakashi smiling down at me. Without saying a word to each other (because of current company present) I smile back at him and silently agree to the best offer I've received yet...Kakashi will just have to move in with me or me with him.

"Of course you don't have to worry about all this right now." Shishou goes on. "It'll be awhile before I sign your release papers, so for now just concentrate on getting plenty of rest and getting better, you hear me?"

"Yes, Shishou." I say obediently and almost immediately start to close my eyes again. I feel tired already...

"We should all go." I hear Shishou say quietly. "This is a lot to take in all at once and she really needs to get as much rest as she can."

I hear shuffling, then a pause.

"Kakashi, you heard what I said." I hear Shishou say sternly.

"It's okay, he can stay," a voice not my own speaks up, although speaking the very words I had intended to say myself.

I open up my eyes in time to see the shocked looked in both Shishou's and Kakashi's eyes and the pleading one in my father's.

"I mean, I know it's not my decision to make, it's yours," my dad says apologetically to Shishou, "But Kakashi's been waiting all this time just for her to wake up and now that she finally has I think we owe it to him to let him stay, don't you?"

Shishou looks flabbergasted. She doesn't like to be contradicted, but slowly the hard look in her eyes softens.

"Okay, Mr. Haruno, have it your way. He can stay," she relents.

"Thank you, Tsunade-sama," my dad says. "And don't worry, Kakashi. The nurse said she's going to bring you up a cot so you don't have to sleep in that uncomfortable chair anymore."

"Thank you, Mr. Haruno." Kakashi says genuinely grateful.

My dad simply smiles and nods his head, and after politely waving for Shishou to exit before him, quietly closes the door behind them both.

When Kakashi turns back to face me, his eye creased up in a smile, I widen my eyes and spread my hands in front of me, palms up, in a "What the f*** was that?!" manner.

"Your dad likes me." Kakashi says with an offhanded shrug of his shoulders. "And so does your mom. She even brought me a piece of cake," he says, pointing to a small paper plate covered with chocolate cake crumbs and an abandoned plastic fork on a nearby rollaway table. "She said something about not liking to see me waste away while I kept my vigil."

"When did this all happen? _How_ did this all happen?" I ask in confusion because up until this point my greatest fear (Besides dying) had been my parents' reaction to my relationship to Kakashi, and yet they've apparently accepted him with open arms.

Kakashi sits back down in his chair which is scooted close to my bed, takes my hand in both of his, and pillows his head on top of our clasped hands so that he's looking up at me and I'm looking down at him. From the ease in which he does all this, I can pretty much figure out how he's been sleeping in that chair for the past three days and three nights.

"The first night of your coma, your parents came in and found me sleeping by your bedside like this," Kakashi begins. "I woke up and they were just standing there looking down at me in shock. I was really embarrassed and started to get up to leave, but they told me to stay because they wanted to talk to me anyway."

"Ooo...That doesn't sound good." I say scrunching up my face.

"I didn't think so either," Kakashi says, "But then they told me that they had heard what happened out on the field and wanted to thank me for saving your life and for bringing you back home to them. When I told them that the last thing they should be doing is thanking me, that it was my fault that you were in a coma in the first place, they told me that I needed to stop blaming myself because none of it was my fault and that I did the best that I could. They told me to stop torturing myself and just go home and rest, but I told them that I wasn't doing what I was doing because I was trying to punish myself. I was doing it because I wanted to be here for you."

"Thank you...for doing that." I say quietly and squeeze his hand tight.

"You're welcome," he says, squeezing my hand back.

"So what happened then?"

"Well, they said that they had heard rumors about that, too, about us being together, and had every intention of trying to separate us the second we set foot back in Konoha, but then all this happened. They said that it was kind of like a blessing in disguise because it made them realize that not all of the rumors were true, at least not the bad ones."

"What bad ones?" I ask, horrified at what my parents might've heard.

"Well, one said that I was having a mid-life crisis and trying to overcompensate by being with a younger woman, and the others were just variations of me trying to take advantage of you."

"But none of that is true!" I protest.

"And that's exactly what your parents said. They said that if any of that was true, then it completely went against what they've seen with their own eyes: That for as long as they've known me, I've done nothing but try to protect and comfort you. They admitted that it was a bit awkward that they knew this because I used to be your teacher, but they also said they knew I have more years as your friend than I ever did as your sensei. And as your friend, one that they know truly cares for you and loves you, they have no reason to judge and stand in the way of us being together."

I look at Kakashi dumbfounded.

"My. Parents. Are. Awesome! If I wasn't tied down to an IV and half a dozen other tubes and wires, I'd probably be jumping up and down in joy right now and literally kill myself from sheer happiness!"

"Don't do that!" Kakashi laughs. "You and I have barely begun. You can't go dying on me just yet!"

"I wouldn't dream of it." I promise. "You and I are going to grow old together." I smile at him.

"We better," he mutters and raises himself up to kiss me softly on the lips.

It's only when we part that we feel Shishou's, Daddy's, and Nurse Fujo's awkward stares on us.

"We, uh, brought the cot." Fujo says, pointing with her eyes to the folded cot she and my dad are carrying between them.

"And I came back to check on your vitals while I'm still here." Shishou says, looking stone-faced.

I feel my face suddenly heat up and from the blush just above his maskline, I know that Kakashi is embarrassed about what we were just caught doing, too.

"We'll just put this here," my dad says, trying his best not to meet my or Kakashi's eyes as he and Fujo carefully set down the cot by my bed.

While they're doing that, Shishou quickly goes about taking my vitals with pursed lips.

In a span of a few minutes, everyone is finished with the particular task they came in to do and getting ready to leave again.

"If you need me, just hit the call button by your bed." Fujo smiles at me before scurrying out.

"Take care, sweetheart," my dad says, then kisses me softly on the forehead before turning to go himself.

About halfway to the door he pauses and turns to Kakashi.

"Please don't make me doubt my current trust and high regard of you," he says simply, then continues out the door.

"The same goes for me." Shishou says sharply. "And I'll know otherwise because I'll have evidence," she says, holding my vitals chart up in the air before dumping it loudly in the slot hanging right outside my door. "I'm warning you, Kakashi, she needs her rest!" Shishou gives him one last warning and a stern look before closing the door behind her.

As soon as we're sure we won't be interrupted again, Kakashi and I look at each other and start laughing.

"What are we? Teenagers?!" I exclaim incredulously. "I'm twenty-two years old!"

"They just want to make sure I don't...Well, you know...and kill you in the process." Kakashi says.

"What makes you think you _don't_ almost kill me when we...you know...even when I'm in good health?!"

Kakashi's eye widens.

"Am I really that-"

"Yes." I quickly answer.

"So when we-"

"Yes."

"I'm sorry. I didn't know." Kakashi says solemnly.

"Don't apologize!" I laugh. "If I didn't like it, I would've thrown you off me and broken your bones a long time ago!"

A mischievous look comes into Kakashi's eye.

"So when you get out of here and you're all better, of course, we can-"

"Kakashi..." I interrupt, "Do you even have to ask?"

I watch in amusement as a drop of sweat rolls down his temple.

"God, I can't wait until you're all better!" Kakashi exclaims.

"Me, too!" I smile back at him.

Then, we kiss one last time before Kakashi lays down on his cot and reaches his hand out for me to hold while we sleep, but before I doze off, I ponder about all the things that have happened between us already in this first month of January alone, and can't help but wonder what else this new year brings.

To be continued...

* * *

This chapter is dedicated to **Fuyuyume**, **Darksoul-wolf**, **michil93**, and **destinyfulfiller**.

To Fuyuyume because even though I always knew that Sakura was going to live, she's the one who suggested that Sakura have a coma. I thought that idea worked really well for this chapter and wish I had come up with it myself, but I didn't, so thank you Fuyuyume!

To Darksoul-wolf and michil93 because they both suggested that Kakashi take care of Sakura for once instead of the other way around because (and I quote) "that would be cute." ^_^

And to destinyfulfiller because she reminded me that Sakura's parents would've already heard rumors about her relationship to Kakashi and it's little details like that which help keep this story as "real" and believable as possible.

Thanks for the suggestions you guys! :P

And I'm not a doctor, so I'm sorry if I got some things wrong, but I did do my research and try to make things as accurate as possible. Here are some links if you want to check out how truth really is stranger than fiction. As for the proximity and location of Sakura's stab wounds, well, if Neko was left handed and hit Sakura's entire right side, it might explain how she hit all those particular organs:

- Liver regeneration:

en(dot)wikipedia(dot)org/wiki/Liver#Regeneration

- Can a person survive with only one kidney?

answers(dot)yahoo(dot)com/question/index?qid=20080414133130AASSCDe

- Appendix, no use for:

en(dot)wikipedia(dot)org/wiki/Vermiform_appendix#Function

- Gastric bypass surgery (_diagram_ _and info_):

healthsystem(dot)virginia(dot)edu/uvahealth/adult_men/images/ei_2186(dot)gif

en(dot)wikipedia(dot)org/wiki/Gastric_bypass_surgery

- Internal organs (_diagram_):

createthebalance(dot)com/media/Images/organs(dot)png

- "Swinging flashlight," "follow my finger," and neurology:

en(dot)wikipedia(dot)org/wiki/Eye_examination#Pupil_function

- Amnesia, causes of:

en(dot)wikipedia(dot)org/wiki/Amnesia#Types_and_causes_of_amnesia

- Fujo in Japanese means woman/help.

Yes, ShipperTrish apparently loves Wiki (and Google Search, too) and has waaay too much time on her hands! :P


	48. 1st Time KakaSaku Move In Together

Well, I guess everything I write from here on out is "How things could've been." Damn you, Kishimoto, you heartless bastard!

For those of you who don't follow, this is what I'm referring to. Just remove the spaces: onemanga . com/Naruto/431/03/

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**Chapter 48-The First Time Kakashi and Sakura Move In Together  
**

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"What's this for?"

"To congratulate you on finally getting out of here."

"Aww...That's really sweet of you. Thank you!" I smile up at Kakashi, reaching my hands out to accept the large bouquet of white daffodils from him, and instinctively bring one of the floral trumpets up to my nose to breathe in its sweet scent.

"You're welcome. I know that they're your favorite and considering what they represent, I thought they'd be perfect."

"You're right, they are my favorite and they do suit the occasion seeing how they represent rebirth, but how did you know all that? I don't remember ever telling you any of those things."

"Well, you see, I was standing in a field of flowers, trying to figure out exactly which ones to get you, when a sow saw the lost look in my eye, and decided to pass on some highly valued, highly regarded pieces of information over to me."

I pause in smelling my lovely flowers to look up at Kakashi.

"You've been talking to Ino, haven't you?" I ask, raising an eyebrow up at him.

"I was in her parents' flowershop. I didn't know what the heck I was doing." Kakashi admits, slumping his shoulders and shaking his head in defeat.

"Well, why didn't you just say that in the first place?!" I laugh at him.

"Because old habits die hard." Kakashi says, slumping his shoulders even more and bowing his head down in further defeat.

I close my eyes and shake my head, unable to keep myself from smiling.

"So did she also tell you that they just happen to be my birth flower, too?"

"No, she didn't, but thanks for telling me. Now I know to get them for you on your birthday. See how good my ninja skills are? I didn't even have to pry that information out of you. You just spilled the beans aaall by yourself." Kakashi says smugly.

"What is _wrong_ with you today?!" I laugh at him.

"Nothing! I'm just happy today, that's all. So are you ready to go home?"

"Absolutely!" I say, carefully placing my flowers on my lap. "I only plan to come back here when I'm the medic and not the patient! Now roll me away, please!"

"Yes, ma'am!" Kakashi says with evident humor in his voice. Then, he walks around my wheelchair so that he can push me home. Our home.

...And I quickly come to realize what drug Kakashi is on and start to feel the high of it myself.

~*~*~*~

In all the ten years that I've known Kakashi, I've only set foot in his apartment a handful of times. The reasoning behind this is quite simple: If we needed to meet up for a mission, we always met at Shishou's office, or the red bridge, or the Great Konoha Gates. If we needed to meet up for training, we met at the training ground itself. If Kakashi needed to be healed in the middle of the night after a not-so-smooth mission, but to his preference _not_ at the hospital, he usually came straight to my apartment. And lastly, if we ever needed to find him for one matter or another, he could usually be found reading his "Icha, Icha" on the administration rooftop, or under a tree, or _in_ the tree, or hanging upside down _from_ the tree...you get the idea.

I had always known Kakashi to be one to dodge questions about himself and keep people out of his personal life the best he could, but I just didn't realize how successful he'd been at it until now, so the fact that he's letting me into his life for the rest of _both_ our lives is truly humbling. Of course, it's also flattering and quite an ego boost. In all his 36 years, countless of women have undoubtedly crossed the Copy Nin's path, yet it's a woman 14 years his junior, and his former student no less, that he finally decides to open his world up to. And as quickly as things have been happening between us, from our first seemingly random kiss on New Year's to his equally seemingly random marriage proposal under a scraggly desert tree, it becomes clear to me now that none of it was without thought or foresight at all. He knew...all along. He knew it would be me. And _that_ is humbling.

"Make yourself at home." Kakashi smiles at me. "I'll bring your stuff up and put these in water," he says, taking my daffodils from me.

"Thank you." I say, and watch him disappear into the kitchen before letting my eyes wander around his, I mean, _our_ apartment because this place is as much mine now as it is his.

Convincing my parents to let Kakashi be the one to take care of me once I was released from the hospital was quite a feat. Getting them to agree to let me move in with him was even more so.

"We've been very, _very_ understanding about your relationship with Kakashi," my dad had said. "He's saved your life more times than we can count and we're forever grateful to him. We even accept your choosing him from all the other young men you could've chosen because we know him, we know what you two have been through together, and we trust your judgment, but Sakura, don't push your luck. Your mother and I still have our limits."

"I know, Dad, and I really appreciate how understanding you and Mom have been, more than most parents would have been in the same situation-"

"Got that right," my dad grumbled.

"...But I'm going to have to ask you to trust me even more on this. As a medic, I'm telling you that taking care of a full grown adult when she's physically disabled is difficult. It involves lifting and pulling her up several times a day, and sometimes you have no choice but to carry her. It's not the same thing as taking care of a small child."

"But there's two of us," my mom protested. "And it's not like you're paralyzed, you're just really weak right now. If your dad and I work together, I'm sure we can take care of you just fine!"

"No offense, Mom, but you and Dad aren't exactly young anymore. Taking care of me like that isn't just a physical risk to both of you, but to me as well. What if Dad hurts his back while he's lifting me up, or your arthritis suddenly acts up? Then all three of us will just end up sprawled helpless on the floor! That's why having Kakashi take care of me makes more sense. He's still young and strong and lifting me up several times a day won't even faze him!"

"But why do you have to move in with him? Why can't he just temporarily move in with you?"

"Because as much as I'd prefer to be in the comfort of my own home, _he'll_ be the one constantly moving around and it'll just be easier on both of us if he's someplace where he already knows where everything is."

"I don't know, sweetheart. It would be one thing if you were moving in with Ino - and I the know the reasons why that's not an option," my mom quickly added when she saw me about to open my mouth in protest. "But to have you move in with a man..." she trailed off uncertainly. "And I _know_ that you're an adult now and I _know_ that times have changed," she cut in when she saw me about to open my mouth again in protest. "But it doesn't change the fact that people still talk when a woman moves in with a man, especially when they're not married to each other."

"Mom, everyone knows what happened to me and knows that I need to be taken care of, and on top of that, everyone knows that Kakashi and I are already together. I'm pretty sure people will understand if I have to turn to my boyfriend in a time of need."

"Sakura, sweetie, it's not just about what other people might say or think, it's about your dad and me caring about you and only wanting the best for you, and your moving in with a man you aren't married to, even in a time of need, just doesn't seem in your best interest. And the fact that you and Kakashi _are_ dating is even more reason why you two shouldn't be moving in together so soon. Your relationship needs time to grow, and as much as we trust the both of you, that kind of living situation can't help but move things along faster than they might otherwise, do you know what I mean?" my mom asked with a pleading look in her eyes, one that told me that she was genuinely worried about my welfare and not just about what other people might say behind our backs.

Up until that point I had never been ashamed of my relationship to Kakashi. So what if he's so much older than me? At least his maturity level is equal to mine rather than below it! And so what if he used to be my teacher? "Used to" being the operative words. Besides, he was my teacher for only one year and Shishou was my teacher for all the rest, but at that moment, speaking to my mom, I did feel ashamed of my relationship to Kakashi. I felt ashamed because I let things happen between us so quickly. My mom was right, in a relationship things should unravel in a timely fashion, not rashly and all at once. The ironic thing is, I had always thought of myself as grounded, as being able to think things through before I jumped headlong into them, but with Kakashi everything had been different. I let him sweep me off my feet so easily. I let him bed me so quickly. I agreed to marry him without a seconds thought, but then again...

"Mom, Dad, thank you for trying to protect me, but this relationship I have with Kakashi, it's not really something you can compare to other relationships. We've known each other for ten years. _Ten years_. That's more than enough time to have a relationship develop and grow between two people. If anything, Kakashi and I have been a long time coming, so even though things seem to be happening fast between us, they're really not. We're just catching up to where we should've been by now."

My parents had been quiet, as if trying to take in everything I had said. Then, my father finally spoke up.

"You're talking about more than just moving in with him, aren't you?" he asked, as if having learned the lesson "Look underneath the underneath" from Kakashi himself.

"Yes, I am." I admitted. "I'm sorry, I've been meaning to tell you for awhile now, but the timing just never felt right. You see, Kakashi and I we're not just dating each other, we're...engaged." I said quietly.

"You're what?!" my mom shouted.

"Engaged." I repeated. "He asked me to marry him during our last mission, before all that bad stuff happened to me, and I said 'yes' because it felt right to say 'yes' to him. Even now I don't regret saying it and wouldn't dream of taking it back. He really is the one I want to spend the rest of my life with." I smiled back at my parents.

"It just seems so sudden," my mom said. "Even though you two have known each other for a long time, your relationship in a romantic sense is still very new."

"Well, we're not planning to actually get married until some time next year." I said, trying to make amends.

My mom seemed somewhat appeased by this, but my dad...

"Are you pregnant?" he asked coolly.

"What? No! Of course not!" I said honestly, not bothering to mention the pregnancy mix-up during the last mission. That would just be a whole other story that I simply wasn't prepared to get further into with my parents right now. "Is that what you think of Kakashi? That he'd only marry me because he got me pregnant?" I asked angrily.

"When you first left for your mission, rumors of you and Kakashi being together were merely that...rumors. Then, when you come back, you two are already engaged, so can you blame us for thinking that?" my dad asked.

"No," I said in defeat. "But that's not the reason why we're getting married. We're doing it because we truly believe that we're a good match for each other and will be good for one another. I'm 22 years old and I haven't been able to keep a relationship with anyone because I either intimidate them because of my shinobi status or my strength, or I scare them off with my short temper. I don't intimidate Kakashi because we're on equal ground, and I don't scare him off with my short temper because he's used to it by now and too cool-headed to be bothered by that sort of thing to begin with. And as for me, he says that he sees in me the kind of life he never dared to imagine for himself before: settling down and having kids and just living a quiet, content life. He says that I'm his constant, that he can't see living life that way with anyone else. So he asked me to marry him. So that we can always be each others constant."

"Sweetheart, those are all lovely reasons to want to get married," my mom had said. "But do you have any idea just how serious a commitment marriage is? It's not always going to rainbows and butterflies."

I smirked knowingly, causing my parents to look confused and uncomfortable at me. Then, I reiterated practically word for word what Madam Shijimi had told me about the flip side of marriage.

My parents had been floored. They hadn't thought that I had put so much thought into the seriousness of marriage. They hadn't believed that I knew just what I was getting myself into with Kakashi. They had thought I was simply lovesick, blind, and rash, but I had already done all those things with Sasuke and had no intention of repeating those same mistakes with Kakashi. Whatever relationship I had with him now would truly be a grown up one with me fully aware of the consequences as well as the perks. I'd grown up and grown wise without any of my parents' knowledge.

...And that's how I find myself now moving in with Kakashi with my parents' blessing.

~*~*~*~

The apartment is surprisingly minimal and clean...for a straight male bachelor pad, and just as Kakashi tries not to reveal too much about himself, the same seems to go for his home. With the exception of a black leather sofa, everything else from the moderate-sized TV, to the lamps, to the wooden coffee table and side tables, seem to have come straight from a cheap motel room which also attempts to be as nondescript and impersonal as possible.

Beyond the living room, a counter/bar divides it from the small kitchen. The only unique thing about that are the two barstools pulled up to it, pointing out the fact that the counter/bar also triples as a dining room table since there is no dining room, much less a table.

To the right of the kitchen is the bathroom and to the right of that the only other room left in the apartment: the bedroom, made apparent by the bed corner visible from the slightly open door.

In the few times that I had visited Kakashi at his apartment in the past, we usually only spoke at the front door. At most he'd let me in to quickly use his bathroom, or to sit and wait on the sofa while he got dressed for whatever emergency we needed to run off to next, but I had never set foot in his bedroom.

"Are you tired? Do you want to lay down? I saw you looking towards the bedroom." Kakashi says, interrupting my thoughts as he reenters the living room and places my daffodils, now placed neatly in a clear, water filled vase, on one of the wooden tables next to the sofa.

I feel my face immediately heat up, embarrassed at having been caught looking so eagerly towards the bedroom in the first place, but am grateful for Kakashi's misinterpretation of the reason.

"Um, yeah, that'd be nice." I agree, since now that I think of it, I am feeling a little bit fatigued. It's going to be awhile before my body fully recovers and I can get most of my stamina back.

"Door's a bit narrow for the wheelchair. Do you mind if I carry you over there instead?" Kakashi asks.

"No, that's fine." I say.

Kakashi bends down and slides one arm behind my knees and the other behind my back and lifts me up easily from my wheelchair, as if lifting someone who's 100 pounds is nothing to him at all. At the same time, I wrap my arms securely around his neck and rest my head against his shoulder as he walks us both slowly towards the bedroom.

At that moment, I feel grateful for having chosen him above everyone else to take care of me. If it had been my dad, he surely would've hurt his back lifting me up like that, and if it had been Ino, she wouldn't have even tried to carry me. The most she probably would've and could've done was wrap one of my arms around her shoulders and let me lean against her as she helped me hobble to wherever I needed to go.

As Kakashi lightly kicks the bedroom door fully open with his foot, I'm shocked to see that, unlike the rest of his apartment, Kakashi's bedroom actually has personal touches here and there.

The first thing that catches my eye is the full-sized bed pushed up against the far left corner of the room, not only because it's the biggest piece of furniture in the room, but because of the distinctive olive green, shuriken patterned quilt covering it. Interesting, since it's not something you'd normally find in the home decor section of a store, but considering the fact that Kakashi is a shinobi, and an elite and well known one at that, it's absolutely fitting.

Kakashi bends back down and gently sits me on said bed with my legs dangling from its side. Then, he looks at me like he expects me to immediately lay down and fall asleep, but my curiosity keeps me from doing so. From the position I'm in, I let my eyes wander around the room which has been a mystery to me up until now.

On the long wooden windowsill that also serves as a bookshelf and the bed's headboard sits an array of different objects. One of them is a well cared for houseplant which is, again, a surprising find in a straight male's bachelor pad.

"Isn't that the plant Naruto gave you a long time ago?" I ask.

"Yes, it is."

"Wow, Kakashi, I have to admit that I'm impressed. I'm surprised that you've been able to keep it alive for this long!"

"Well, it's not really that difficult to take care of. Naruto called it a 'succulent' and said it pretty much takes care of itself. Apparently, he was right. I can't even remember the last time I watered Mr. Ukki."

"Mister Ukki?" I repeat, enunciating each syllable slowly while smiling incredulously up at Kakashi.

"That's what Naruto called him when he gave him to me and the name just sort of stuck." Kakashi explains, blushing right above his maskline and scratching the back of his neck awkwardly.

"_Him?_" I ask, pressing my lips together and inward to suppress a laugh that's just waiting to erupt.

"Leave Mr. Ukki alone. He's done nothing to you." Kakashi says like a petulant child.

"Oh, I have no problems with Mr. Ukki, Kakashi, believe me." I say laughingly.

"Well I haven't done anything to you either."

"Two words for you Kakashi: Pregnancy. Mess."

Kakashi's eye widens in shock.

"You'll never forgive me for that one will you?"

"Oh, but I do forgive you, Kakashi. You saved my life and now you're taking care of me, so you're more than making up for it. I just won't ever let you forget it is all! It's quite useful in times like these, you know what I mean?" I smile playfully up at him.

"Okay, so let's just get this straight, if _you_ do something to me that's equally embarrassing-"

"But I won't."

"You don't know that."

"I won't, Kakashi!"

"Okay, let's just say that you do, hypothetically."

"Alright, fine. So what happens then...hypothetically?"

"...Then I get to do the same to you. I have to forgive you, but get to tease you forever and always about it," he says with a hint of a smirk in his voice.

"I try to be a fair person, so sure, why not? As long as we promise to tease each other about it and not get angry about it."

"You gonna shake on that?"

"Are you serious?!"

"Just want to make sure you keep your promise is all." Kakashi says, shrugging his shoulders.

"Fine." I say, holding out my hand for him to shake. "I promise."

Kakashi takes it and shakes it firmly back.

"It's a deal then. You do realize that I'll be watching you like a hawk from now on just waiting for you to goof up."

"'All's fair in love and war,' Kakashi."

"You said it not me."

"Why do I have the feeling that this is going to bite me in the ass someday?" I ask him.

"Because it will?"

I shoot him a dirty look, which he merely laughs at, then let my eyes continue to explore the various personal effects on his windowsill. Right next to Mr. Ukki I see something that strikes me as extremely ironic.

"An alarm clock? What's the point in that?!" I laugh.

"I like to be reminded of how late I am?" Kakashi says, blushing ever more furiously.

"Wouldn't it be better if you actually _set_ the alarm instead?"

"I do, and I usually get up right when it goes off, but that's not what usually holds me up anyway."

I'm about to ask Kakashi just what he means by that when a much younger Kakashi looks back up at me from a silver framed photograph. I look at the picture more closely and immediately recognize another familiar face in the group, the handsome one of our Fourth Hokage. Remembering what Kakashi had told me at the memorial during our New Year's Day date, I deduce that the remaining boy and girl in the photograph must be Kakashi's old teammates, Obito and Rin.

"That's them, isn't it? They're the ones who make you late for everything."

Kakashi says nothing and simply nods his head.

Back when Team 7 was still whole and Naruto, Sasuke, and I had agreed to find out what Kakashi looked like underneath his mask, I remember wondering what the heck Kakashi was doing, standing out in the rain just staring for hours on end at the memorial stone. It never occurred to me that his always being late and his ritual at the memorial stone were connected. It had just been easier to pass off his tardiness on his laziness and blatant disregard for the rules.

"You know, you really should stop blaming yourself the way you do. It can't be healthy for you." I say gently.

"I know. I stopped doing that a long time ago. Now I just do it to remind myself to be grateful for the life I have, the one they sacrificed their own lives for. I'm not punishing myself anymore, Sakura. I'm thanking them."

I smile a sad, small smile back at him and look at the people in the photograph again, trying to commit to memory the faces of these people who saved the life of the person who's saved my own life several times over.

Sitting slightly behind Kakashi's old team photograph is another photograph, one that I'm familiar with and have sitting on a table in my own apartment. It's a picture of Team 7, complete in a way that it never would be again, but I concentrate on how young we all look instead and how it's only Kakashi and me who are smiling and happy. It seems ironically fitting now.

The similarities between the two pictures is not lost on me. It's not just that everyone is standing in almost the same positions, but that the people themselves look like near mirror images of each other: Young Kakashi scowls the same way Sasuke did in our own team pic. Obito and Naruto have the same spiky hair, and if Naruto had still been wearing his goggles instead of his hitai-ate, his likeness to Obito would've been even more exact. Older Kakashi has obviously taken the place of his own sensei, and Rin and I...I know that I'm looking at someone else, someone who took this picture long before I was even born, but the shape of our faces, the widow's peak at the top of our heads, and even the way we squeezed our eyes shut as we both smiled...the similarities between us are uncanny.

Mixed emotions tug at me. I know I have no right to be since this girl passed away a long time ago, but I'm jealous. Kakashi had said at the memorial that he loved Rin as a sister, but it makes me wonder if he wasn't telling me the whole truth, that maybe he had actually loved her the same way he loves me now. And if in fact he did, then it makes me wonder if history isn't merely repeating itself and Kakashi is just falling for the same type of girl, or worse, just seeing _her_ when he looks at _me_, like I'm some kind of secondhand substitute for the real deal...

"You okay, Sakura? It seems like all the blood just drained from your face."

"I'm fine, Kakashi. I just need to lie down." I smile weakly up at him.

"Oh, okay," he says, and helps me carefully raise my legs up on the bed so that I can lay down. Then, he crawls into the bed himself and carefully hugs me from behind so as not to hurt my still healing body. "Feel better?" he asks.

"Yes, thank you. I'm just feeling a little overwhelmed I guess."

"That's understandable. You've only been out of the hospital for about half an hour."

It would be so easy to let him misinterpret my actions yet again, to let him think that I was referring to what was going on with my body rather than what was going on in my head.

"Actually, Kakashi, that's not what I meant. What I meant is that this - you and me and moving in together and everything else that's been happening between us - is a huge step for me. I've never done anything like this before and I'm feeling a little overwhelmed."

"Oh!" he says in surprise. "Well, if it helps any, I'm scared, too. I've never done anything like this before either."

"Really?" I ask, turning my head to look at him over my shoulder. I can already feel most of my jealousy and concern lifting away.

"Yes, really," he smiles at me. "Everything we're doing from here on out is as new to me as it is to you. So how 'bout we just do things one step at a time and concentrate on getting you better. Sound good?"

"Yes." I smile back at him, feeling genuinely relieved.

"Good. Then we both agree to be scared shitless together."

I laugh and so does he, and when our laughter finally dies down, we doze off and end up taking our first afternoon nap, on our first day living together, warm and secure in each others arms, effectively postponing "scared shitless" for another day.

To be continued...

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Links (remove spaces):

- Sakura and the daffodils, episode 55:

vids . myspace . com/index . cfm?fuseaction=vids . individual&videoid=3243933

- Daffodils, rebirth, and Sakura's birth flower:

marriage . about . com/od/flowers/a/flowermean . htm

- The red bridge, episode 20:

vids . myspace . com/index . cfm?fuseaction=vids . individual&videoid=3287152

- Kakashi's apartment and room (scroll down):

leafninja . com/locations . php?p=fire

- In episode 83:

vids . myspace . com/index . cfm?fuseaction=vids . individual&videoID=2033430695

- In "Shippuden" episode 7:

imeem . com/people/MfLQ_eF/video/Z90TIt8R/dattebayo_naruto_shippuuden_episode_6_7_animation_video/

- Mr. Ukki's origins:

naruto . wikia . com/wiki/Naruto_Uzumaki#Personality

- "Kakashi's True Face," episode 101:

vids . myspace . com/index . cfm?fuseaction=vids . individual&videoid=16750276


	49. Kakashi & Sakura's 1st Valentine's

This chapter is dedicated to **Sophie DN** for her very kind PM that gave me the confidence and encouragement to keep going.

And thank you also to all of you who took the time to review. Your feedback is always much appreciated. ^_^

**WARNING:** This chapter contains explicit sexual content.

* * *

**Chapter 49-Kakashi and Sakura's First Valentine's Day****

* * *

  
**

In Japan, Valentine's Day is celebrated differently from the way Western countries do. Rather than it being about romantically involved couples exchanging gifts to express their feelings for one another, it's more about women giving chocolates to the men in their lives whether or not they think of those men in a romantic sense.

I actually enjoy the tradition which is also practiced here in Fire Country. It gives me the chance to show all the men in my life that I appreciate them and that they all have special meaning to me. And, because it's tradition and because of the way the chocolates are equally handed out, I don't feel embarrassed about approaching one of the guys and giving him a present which on any other day might bring about unwanted gossip.

In this manner, I _have_ celebrated Valentine's Day with Kakashi before, but the same can be said about Naruto and Rock Lee and even Gai-sensei, my having given them all inexpensive giri-choco, or "courtesy chocolate," in past years.

The only person I had ever dared to give more expensive, higher quality honmei-choco, or "prospective winner chocolate," to every Valentine's Day, at least up until the year he defected from Konoha, was Sasuke. Yet although he, like all the other men I had given chocolate to on Valentine's Day, had reciprocated back on White Day in March by giving me white chocolates in return (hence the name "White Day") Sasuke never gave me more than what he was obligated to. Rather than elaborate or get creative with his reciprocal gift by adding flowers or a stuffed animal, he would simply give me 3 white chocolate bars back, effectively fulfilling sanbai gaeshi, or "thrice the return," without really putting much thought or effort into it. In short, whereas my gifts showed him that I truly had feelings for him, his gifts showed me that he was just paying me back because he was supposed to.

I've learned my lesson now, albeit the hard way, but this year will be different. This year, rest assured that all my honmei-choco is going straight to someone who deserves it, someone warm and caring and who has already proven that he feels the same way about me as I do about him.

~*~*~*~

I've gotten used to it by now. After all, it's been almost a month since I first moved in with him, but it doesn't mean I've stopped admiring it...

The room is infused with a soft, bluish-gray light, the kind that comes with early morning when the curtains are drawn, but the new day refuses to be kept out. It touches everything: the walls, the furniture...even him and me. I turn my head on my pillow to look at his dimly lit profile: a straight, well-defined nose, smooth, thin lips, a 5 o'clock shadow...

I'm used to it by now, seeing Kakashi's unmasked face, but even if I see it every morning until we're both old and gray, I still don't think I will ever stop admiring it.

His eye slowly opens and he turns his head to look at me.

"Morning," he says with a sleepy smile.

"Morning." I smile back. "Happy Valentine's Day."

"Happy Valentine's Day," he says in return.

"I got you something. I know it's still early, but I've been waiting all week to give it to you." I say as I get out of bed to get it. Since my side of the bed is the one pushed up against the wall, I start to slowly scoot down the length of it.

"Sakura, you don't have to do that." Kakashi says, already getting up from his side of the bed so that I can get out that way.

"No, it's okay. That's where I'm headed anyway." I say, indicating with my eyes to the dresser opposite the foot of the bed. Once my feet touch the cold hardwood floor, I pad across the small distance between the bed and the dresser, open up the drawer that has since been designated mine, dig underneath my clothes, and pull out the present that I have hidden there. Then, I walk back towards the bed where Kakashi is and hand him the flat white box tied with a silver bow.

"Thank you," he says, both his eyes creasing upward as he smiles.

"You're welcome. Go ahead, open it." I encourage him.

Kakashi undoes the ribbon, opens up the lid, and gently pushes aside the wax paper.

"Oh, wow..." is his response.

"I had it special made." I say with a proud smile, for inside the box is a 6 inch square, 1 inch thick block of chocolate, but on top of it is a thin slice of white chocolate cut in the shape of a circle, and on that circle there's a smiley face drawn with dark chocolate syrup that has cooled and hardened so that it won't smear. It's the same smiley face seen on the back of Pakkun's navy blue vest and the one normally seen on scarecrows, Kakashi's namesake. The name of this particular smiley face is "Henohenomoheji" and it's made up of hiragana Japanese characters with each character making up a facial feature, like the "He" makes up the eyebrows and the "No" makes up the eyes, and surrounding the smiley face are cherry blossoms to represent my own namesake. Each flower has delicate pink petals which are actually made from white chocolate dyed with a bit of red food dye.

"The cherry blossom and the scarecrow. This is one of the most thoughtful gifts I've ever received. I love it. Thank you." Kakashi smiles and leans forward to kiss me on the lips.

"You're welcome." I smile back at him.

"But you know what? It looks so good that I don't want to eat it!" he laughs.

"I was thinking the same thing, but it'll also be a waste if you don't. It's not going to last forever, so maybe you can take a picture of it and _then_ eat it." I suggest.

"That's actually a good idea." Kakashi says, getting out of bed to grab his camera.

"Here, I'll take it so that I can take it with you holding it up."

Kakashi hands me the camera, picks up the chocolate, and poses with it.

"Smile!" I tell him.

By the time realization hits him, it's too late...The flash has already gone off.

"Oh, shit! You have to delete that!" he tells me frantically. "Here, let's do it again!"

"No! I like that one! We can see your perfectly straight, sparkling white teeth." I smile a big, mischievous smile at him.

"Which is why you have to delete it!" Kakashi says, making a grab for the digital camera in my hands.

"I said no! I like it and I'm keeping it!" I say, keeping the camera well away from his reach.

"Sakuraaaa..." he says impatiently in his sensei voice.

"Kakashiiii..." I say teasingly back. "Okay, what if we do this? We do take another picture with your mask on this time, but I get to keep this one as long as I'm the only one who sees it. Sound fair?"

"And how do I know that you won't use it as blackmail later and plaster my face all over Konoha if you get angry at me?"

"Gee, I wasn't even thinking about doing that, but now that you mention it-"

"Alright, that's it!" Kakashi says, making a sudden grab for the camera again.

"Ah!" I scream and pull it away just in time out of his reach.

"Sakura, give it here!"

"No!" I laugh.

"Sakura!"

"No!"

"You asked for it!" Kakashi says, tackling me down onto the bed so that I'm flat on my back.

...And my laughter quickly turns into a painful scream.

Kakashi's eyes widen in both fear and shock and he quickly gets off of me.

"Oh my God, Sakura, are you alright? I'm SO sorry, I completely forgot!" he says, fussing over me.

"I'm fine." I assure him, wincing. "Just...don't fall for that again!" I say, quickly slipping away from him.

"That was just _wrong!_" he says indignantly. "I seriously thought I hurt you!"

"I promise that I'm fine! Look." I say, lifting up the hem of my pajama top so that he can see the long, puckered pink scar running down the right side of my abdomen. "See? I'm healing faster than I normally would because of all the chakra Shishou and Ino have been pouring into me."

Kakashi looks down at my scar and follows the length of it with his fingertips. His touch is so gentle and featherlight that it tickles me and I can't help but laugh, but my laughter is cut short when I see the sad look in his eye.

"You're not fine," he says quietly.

"What are you talking about? Up until a few weeks ago I couldn't even walk properly and hobbled around like an old lady, but now I can dodge you without a problem. I'd say that's pretty good progress!"

"But you're scarred for life now and we both know that you'll never be as healthy as you used to be," he says miserably.

"No, I won't be, but I'm alive because of you and that's what matters. As for the scar, I'll just keep applying chakra to it so that it'll blend in better with my skin. It's not a big deal, really."

Kakashi doesn't look appeased. I can tell that no matter what I say to him that he's still going to keep blaming himself for not rescuing me on time, so I try a different approach.

"Have I told you how much I appreciate your taking care of me?" I ask him softly. "Because I really do. I know that it can't be easy having to suddenly share your home with someone else and then to have to take care of her every need on top of it."

"Yes, but if I had just-"

"I mean, sure, you're sort of _obligated_ to take care of me since I'm your girlfriend, but it doesn't change the weight it puts on your shoulders."

"Sakura, after what happened to you it's the least I can-"

"But that's always been your way, hasn't it? To carry the weight of the world and say that you deserve it. It doesn't have to be that way, you know? You don't have to be the scapegoat all the time."

"I'm not trying to be the-"

"For once, Kakashi, just try to be happy without feeling guilty about it. If there's anything you deserve, it's that." I smile warmly at him. "You have been so much for me, not just now, but for as long as I've known you. You've been my teacher, my protector, my best friend, and in all honesty and from the bottom of my heart, _I love you._ Now just be happy knowing that and don't attach any guilt to it, or us, or your next gift."

"You have another gift for me?" he asks, his eye widening in surprise.

I say nothing and simply smile back at him as I get out of bed and make my way to the dresser once more. Once I find what I'm looking for, I hold it up so that Kakashi can see it.

"Sakura...What else do you have hidden in your underwear drawer and what the heck do you intend to do with _that?_"

"Wouldn't you like to know and it's not what I'm going to do, but what we're _both_ going to do to each other. Just consider it my way of making up for not personally hand making your honmei-choco." I say, handing him the bottle of chocolate syrup and laying back down on the bed. "Happy Valentine's Day." I smile up at him.

I see arousal and then hesitation flicker in his eye.

"No guilt, Kakashi." I remind him. "Just. Be. Happy."

Slowly, the hesitation in his eye dissipates and the look in his eye softens.

"I guess that's just a lesson I've never learned for myself," he admits, laying down on his side facing me with his head propped up on his hand.

"How about that? I got to be the teacher this time around." I say amused.

"You did, didn't you?" Kakashi says, smiling down at me.

"But I have a feeling my job isn't over yet."

"It's not?"

"Nope. I've got my work cut out for me."

"How's that?"

"Because you, _Sensei_, have got a lot to learn about happiness, and I have every intention of teaching you as much about it as I can...through hands on experience with me, of course." I smile slyly up at him.

Kakashi laughs.

"God, I love you." he says.

"I know you do." I say softly. "But Lesson Number One: Don't just tell me, show me."

And with that, Kakashi puts his game face on and gets down to business.

The first place he decides to drizzle the chocolate on are my lips. He lets two small drops fall on them, smooths the chocolate across my lips with his thumb like lip gloss, first on my top lip, then my bottom, before slowly lowering his own lips down onto mine.

At first his kiss is light, slow, and lazy. The kind that makes your head gently bob up and down with each press of the lips. The kind where you take your time and truly enjoy it, but it isn't very long before his kisses become progressively deeper and hungrier. He starts to kiss me with open mouthed kisses under the pretense of sucking my lips with his own. Then, he lets his tongue slip out ever now and then, this time under the pretense of tasting my lips and the chocolate on them. At this point, I can taste the chocolate on him as much as he can taste it on me. And soon enough, he delves his entire tongue into my mouth and uses it to massage my own, letting our tongues do a dance of sorts with each other. We let them snake and glide hypnotically against each other for awhile, only parting when our lungs start to burn from lack of oxygen.

We take a few deep, refreshing cool breaths of air before Kakashi pours chocolate along the side of my neck. He licks it clean, licking me from my collarbone all the way up to behind my ear, making me moan in pleasure. I feel him smile briefly against my neck before sucking hard on it, making me moan even louder.

Raising the bottle up and squeezing it again, Kakashi pours chocolate into the hollow between my two collarbones. He dips his tongue into the chocolate pool he created there and laps it up as he carefully undoes the buttons of my pajama top at the same time. Once the last button is undone, he pushes away the two halves of silky, ivory fabric, revealing my nude torso to him. Kakashi pauses for a second, looking down at me with hazy eyes before letting a bit of chocolate drizzle on each of my nipples. He gently takes one of my breasts in his hands, squeezes it to make it pucker out even more, and wraps his lips around it, sucking it clean and quickly flicking his tongue against my hardened nipple before moving on to the other breast and doing the same things to it. He only stops when both breasts are completely clean of chocolate.

Raising himself back up, he pulls my pajama pants down and tosses them over the side of the bed. Then, lifting one of my legs up and resting it on his shoulder, he pours a thin trail of chocolate from my ankle to my knee and slowly drags the flat of his tongue up the inside of my leg to clean it all up. Then, lowering my leg back down on the bed and spreading my legs wider for him, Kakashi pours another thin trail of chocolate up my leg, this time from my knee to my inner thigh. Again, he drags the flat of his tongue against my flesh, following the trail he created. At trail's end, I feel the warmth of his breath against my panties. He pauses for a second, as if deciding what to do and ultimately decides to push the crotch of my panties aside to get to what's underneath.

With a light squeeze of the bottle, he pours just enough chocolate to coat my clit and to drip down my slit. Laying himself down on his stomach and making himself comfortable, he licks my slit from bottom to top before wrapping his lips around my clit and sucking and flicking his tongue rapidly against it, teasing it. Beyond my control, I start to moan loudly because what he's doing is causing a burning heat to build up inside of me, and that heat is causing a tingling sensation, and that tingling sensation is making me desperate for something to clamp my inner muscles around. Kakashi delivers...by plunging his tongue as deep as it will go inside of me, but it's simply not enough. Sensing this himself, Kakashi pulls his tongue out and puts it to better use by letting it continue to quickly flick against my clit, and the burning heat inside of me is better quenched by the three fingers he pumps slowly in and out of me. As his pumping gets faster, I feel the tension inside of me start to build up again, growing and growing to the point that I can't take it anymore. I feel the tension inside of me explode all at once, snapping like an overstretched rubberband and causing my inner muscles to contract and clamp down hard around his fingers like a steel vice. It's intense and so, so good all at the same time. A minute later, I collapse back onto the bed exhausted, but sated.

Kakashi pulls his fingers out of me and I see them soaked with my juices. Rather than wipe them off on a tissue, he wraps his hand around his cock instead, using my juices to lubricate his own sex and make pumping it easier. I put my hand on top of his and mimic his movements. Eventually, he gets the idea, removes his own hand, and lets me take over. I don't stop my pumping even as he shifts around on the bed so that I'm the one on top and he's the one laying comfortably on his back.

Not forgetting about the chocolate syrup, I take the bottle from his now tightly fisted hand and drizzle chocolate onto his cock, letting it dribble all the way down to his balls, but licking the chocolate up before it actually drips down to the white cotton bedsheets. I gently suck his balls clean, then lick his cock from base to tip, repeating the action until I've licked his cock on all sides. Then, for good measure, I open up my mouth wide, relax my throat, and take him completely into the warmth of my mouth in order to suck him _completely_ clean. I suck him hard, letting my cheeks hollow, and slowly move my lips up the length of his cock as I do so. When I've sucked him all the way up to his tip, I lavish my tongue around the hypersensitive mushroom head and let his cock slide all the way back into my mouth again and start to quickly bob my head up and down on him, taking the time to stop and swirl my tongue around and around his tip and against the underside of his cock every now and then. I know he's enjoying all of it because when I look up at him, I see that his eyes are squeezed tightly shut and his mouth has taken on a grimace.

"Sakura..." he says breathlessly.

When he says my name like that, I know it's time to stop. It means that he's close and unless I want him to finish before I've even had the chance to get him inside of me, then I need to stop what I'm doing.

The second I let Kakashi slide out of my mouth, he jumps out of bed, hurries over to his desk, opens up one of the drawers, and pulls out a condom. I watch as he carefully tears the foil packet, pulls out the rubber, and rolls it onto himself. Then, he makes his way back to me on the bed, his erection bobbing along the way.

"So how do you want to do it?" he asks, standing at the edge of the bed.

"I think it's better if I'm on top. That way I have control and your weight won't be on top of me."

Kakashi nods his head in agreement, lays back down on the bed, holds himself in his hand to keep the condom in place, and waits for me.

This is the first time we'll actually be having intercourse since I moved in with him since my body needed time to heal. We had found other ways of satisfying each other, mainly through foreplay, handjobs, and oral sex, but this is the first time we'll be having actual sex.

I squat down over him, align his tip to my opening, and let him sink into me inch by slow inch. Once I have him completely inside, we both let out a pleasured moan. It's been such a long time since we've done this that I'm extra tight for him. I sit still on top of him for a moment, letting my body adjust and get used to his penetration. Then, I slowly lift myself up off of him so that only his tip remains inside, then quickly lower myself all the way back down. We both moan again from the pleasurable sensation the friction brings.

Wanting more of that wonderful feeling, I slowly raise myself up and bring myself back down again, and again, and again, to the point that I can feel the tension building up inside of me once more. I put my hands behind me so that I'm gripping onto his thighs, spread my own thighs wide open for him, and give him a clear view of his cock sliding in and out of me. Kakashi brings his hand to my exposed clit and quickly rubs the pads of his fingertips against it.

The combined sensation of him slowly sliding in and out of me and him quickly rubbing against my clit is too intense and I have to stop so that my inner muscles can contract and clamp down hard around him, shooting unbelievable pleasure throughout my body. When my inner muscles finally loosen around him and I come down from my high, I feel relief wash over me, like all the tension that had been building up had finally been released.

Kakashi gives me a minute to catch my breath, looking up at me in both triumph and awe at what he just made me do. I try to move again for him to let him have his turn, but I'm so exhausted that my entire body feels like jelly.

Probably seeing the exhaustion on my face, he places his hands under my butt cheeks to help me out and starts to move me up and down on top of him, making me go faster and faster, faster than I ever would've been able to on my own. I'm on the verge of being unable to take his insane pace any longer when his eyes squeeze tightly shut and he pumps me slower up and down on top of him, letting me milk him. Then, he pushes me down hard onto him one last time as he groans his release. He's pushed himself in so deep inside that it actually hurts a little.

I let out a moan of pain, but when it comes out, it sounds more like a moan of pleasure. That's another thing I've learned during our lovemaking: that when I let out a moan because what he's doing actually hurts, it oftentimes sounds more like a moan of pleasure, egging him on.

Kakashi swirls himself a last few times inside of me, then stills.

I collapse down on top of him, still straddling him with him still inside of me, and pillow my head against his chest.

We lay like that for awhile, sweat soaked, panting, and hearts racing.

"I want to stay like this forever." Kakashi says once our heart rates and breathing have somewhat returned to normal.

"Well, it's Saturday so we can stay like this all weekend if you want. It's not forever, but it's something at least."

"Sounds good to me." Kakashi says, lifting his head up from his pillow to kiss me on the top of the head before letting his head fall unceremoniously back down again. "Besides, if we went on for longer than that, I think you'd be the death of me," he says and then almost immediately starts lightly snoring.

I can't really blame him. I'm exhausted, too, and just as sex pumps our bodies up with adrenaline and endorphins to make us excited and euphoric respectively, it also pumps our bodies up with sedatives afterward, making us sleepy. So, resigning myself to the ways of nature, I also let my eyes slowly drift shut and, like Kakashi, fall back into restful, blissful sleep.

We never left the apartment at all that weekend. The on and off February rain made for a good excuse to stay inside all day, so we spent it making love, sleeping, and eating instead. And sometimes we even combined activities...and ended up using the entire bottle of chocolate syrup. Suffice it to say, it was the best Valentine's Day weekend ever!

To be continued...

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Remove spaces for links:

- Valentine's Day in Asia:

en . wikipedia . org/wiki/Valentine%27s_day#Asia

- White Day:

en . wikipedia . org/wiki/White_Day

- smiley face "Henohenomoheji" symbol:

leafninja . com/symbols . php

**Happy Valentine's Day, everyone! ^_^**


	50. Kakashi & Sakura's 1st White Day

It's truly amazing how strongly people can affect our lives without our even knowing it, whether it be through their friendship, their kindness, or simply enjoying their imagination and creativity that they're kind enough to share with us.

I felt my heart grow heavy the minute I heard about Serenanna's passing. I followed her story _Dirty Deeds_ closely and looked forward to each of her updates. And when I turned to her for assistance with a bit of personal frustration I was having not so long ago, she responded with so much kindness, understanding, and maturity that it made me stand back and respect her more than I already did.

Sarah, whether you knew it or not, you enriched our lives with your talent and your grace and you will truly be missed.

_Never take people for granted, nor all that they have to offer because then you risk not knowing what you have until it's gone._

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**Chapter 50-Kakashi and Sakura's First White Day**

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Thanks as always to all my readers and a special thanks to those of you who took the time to review.

**WARNING:** This chapter contains explicit sexual content.

~*~*~*~

If Valentine's Day is mocked and speculated as a holiday created solely for the purpose of making businesses more money, then White Day most definitely is one.

Started by the National Confectionery Industry Association (presumably other than to make money) White Day was first celebrated in Japan in 1978 to give men the chance to pay back the women who gave them chocolate and other gifts on Valentine's Day. On March 14, 1977, a confectionery company marketed marshmallows to men calling it Marshmallow Day. Then soon after that, companies began marketing white chocolate. Now men give both white and dark chocolate as well as other gifts to the women they received chocolate from on Valentine's Day one month earlier. (1)

Whatever its origins, it doesn't stop us women from reaping the benefits of White Day and enjoying them. Shoot, we had spent our hard earned money on our guys on Valentine's Day, so they had better do the same for us on White Day!

~*~*~*~

The literal translation of "Konoha" from Japanese to English is "leaves of trees" or "foliage." In this way, our village is aptly named. However, even with the windows closed shut, I'm still woken up by the sound of many (too many) birds chirping. The sound is akin to Kakashi's Raikiri and is one of the pitfalls (or benefits, depending on your perspective) of living someplace surrounded by trees.

Personally, I lay contentedly in bed soaking it all in because there's nothing nicer than laying warm and comfortable in your bed when there's nowhere you have to be and nothing that you have to do for the rest of the day. It's Saturday, a free day, and I have no clue how Kakashi wants to spend it.

Speaking of which..._Where is he?_ I wonder, turning my head to look at his empty side of the bed. Unless there's an early morning briefing or mission that he has to run off to, I usually wake up with him laying by my side.

I'm just about to pull the blankets off of me and search the small apartment for him when the bedroom door cracks open and Kakashi's bare face peeks through it.

"I thought I heard you stirring. Glad you're finally awake," he says with a smile. "Wait right there," he tells me and disappears again before I have the chance to open my mouth to ask why.

About a minute later, the door slowly swings open again, but this time Kakashi walks through it, carrying in his hands a wooden tray with a plate full of food and a small white vase holding a single red rosebud which he carefully walks over to me on the bed.

"Happy White Day!" he says cheerfully as he places the tray on my blanket covered lap.

"Oh, wow...Thank you!" I say, moved. "I've never had breakfast in bed before. Well, I have, but I don't think hospital food brought to you by your nurse counts!"

"No, it doesn't." Kakashi agrees and without my having to ask, he bends down so that I can lightly peck him on the lips.

"I can't believe you made all this!" I say in disbelief when I see everything that he had cooked up: 2 fluffy pancakes topped with powdered sugar, whipped cream, and fresh strawberries, all drizzled with just a little bit of chocolate syrup and a whole lot of maple syrup, 2 eggs, sunny-side up, hash browns, 2 slices of crispy bacon, and a large glass of cool milk. It's an American style breakfast that I just happen to love.

"This is way too much food, Kakashi! You're going to have to share this with me!" I say, overwhelmed.

"Alright," he laughs and takes his place next to me on the bed.

We eat together in comfortable silence, taking turns eating and sometimes even feeding each other...If you consider purposely missing each other's mouths and getting food all over each other's face "feeding each other." It probably would have been easier to simply get another plate and pair of eating utensils, but where's the fun in that?

"This was a great surprise, Kakashi. Thank you!" I say a few minutes later, rubbing my full stomach.

"Don't thank me yet. There's more," he says and digs deep into one of his jounin pants' pockets.

I expect him to pull out a piece of white chocolate to fulfill his White Day obligation. I imagine that it'd have melted warm in his pocket by now, but even if it is a little disfigured, I still don't think I'd mind it. After all, he's put more thought and effort into fulfilling sanbai gaeshi, or "thrice the return," than Sasuke ever had. So I'm completely thrown when it's not a piece of white chocolate that he pulls out. In fact, it's the polar opposite of anything white in color. It's a small, black velvet box.

I feel my heart start to race and it feels a little bit harder to breathe.

"I think it's about time you got a proper engagement ring, don't you?" he asks with a wry smile, holding the box out to me and flipping the lid open.

Set into the crease of black velvet is one of the sweetest looking rings I've ever seen. It's simple in design, but that seems to be what contributes to its sweetness. Like most traditional engagement rings, it's a ring with a diamond setting on top, but that's where its plainness ends. Instead of a regular round, square, or emerald-cut white diamond in the middle, there's an oval-cut _pink_ diamond. The band is slim, delicate, and made of silver, and inset into the silver are ten tiny white diamonds, five on either side of the pink diamond, just enough to add a bit of sparkle without being too flashy. (2)

"I don't really know very much about engagement rings." Kakashi admits as he pulls the ring out of the box, takes my hand into his, and slides the ring onto my finger...A perfect fit. "The only thing I knew when I went out searching for yours was that I wanted one that would suit you best, and this ring just called out to me. See, the pink automatically reminds me of you for obvious reasons," he smiles, glancing at my still unbrushed morning hair which I quickly try to tame by running my hand down the back of my head. "Not to mention that even _I_ know that pink diamonds are rare and valuable. And I know that you're not very big on jewelry, but this I can see you wearing because it's simple and doesn't draw too much attention even if you're jumping from tree branch to tree branch during the middle of a mission, which is one of the main reasons why I fell for you in the first place: Because you're practical and not showy like some other women I know. As for the ten diamonds on the sides, they represent the ten years we've already known each other and spent together as friends. And lastly, I like to think that the silver represents me." Kakashi says with two happy eye creases as he points up to his hair.

"Wow, Kakashi. It sounds like you put a lot of thought into this!"

"I did. I didn't want to give you a ring that was just a ring. I wanted to give you something special, something with meaning behind it."

"Well, I think you did a wonderful job. I don't think I could've designed a better ring myself. It's like this ring was meant to represent you and me, so thank you. It's perfect." I say, cupping his cheek with my now ringed hand and giving him a soft, lingering kiss on the lips.

When we part, we smile at each other with half-hooded eyes.

"And just how did you figure out my ring size anyway? Even I don't know what my ring size is!"

"Dental floss." Kakashi says with a sly grin. "I wrapped a piece of it around your finger while you were sleeping and cut it so that it'd be the right size."

"That's really clever!" I smile in amusement.

"That's what the jeweler said. I'm not called a genius for nothing." Kakashi says proudly.

"Thank you! This is definitely a White Day that I'll never forget!"

"But you haven't even received all your gifts yet!"

"There's more?!" I ask, my eyes going wide.

"Of course there's more! It's not even noon yet! Pack your bags. We're going away for the weekend."

"We are? Where are we going?"

"It's a surprise." Kakashi says with a big smile.

"But how will I know what to pack?"

"Well, we're not going very far, so there won't be that big of a temperature difference. Just pack two days worth of clothes the same as you would wear here."

"Okay..." I say uncertainly.

"Trust me," he says, quickly kissing me on the lips. Then, he picks up the breakfast tray and leaves the room to clean up.

I had expected him to pay me back for Valentine's Day. After all, it had been one heck of a Valentine's Day weekend! I just hadn't expected him to pay me back with surprises at every turn!

~*~*~*~

Kakashi wasn't kidding. We probably only walked 5 miles at most outside of Konoha before he said that we were close to our destination and to bring my hitai-ate down over my eyes like a blindfold so that he could lead me the rest of the way. I trustingly did as he asked. After all, he'd been batting a thousand with his White Day surprises so far, so I figured that I might as well just go with it.

As he carefully led me down the dirt path we were on and instructed me every now and then to turn this way or that way or step over this, I racked my brain, trying hard to remember what lay just outside of Konoha's great walls. All I could think of were trees, more trees, and maybe the occasional stream or parcel of farmland, but what else?

I'm still trying to figure it out when Kakashi squeezes my hand in his and says, "We're here."

I stop to a halt next to him and let him be the one to lift my hitai-ate back on top of my head like a headband. When I slowly open up my eyes I see straight ahead of me, nestled into a pocket of overgrown Konoha forest trees, a quaint little pagoda-roofed bungalow. (3)

"What's this?" I ask, a grin already spreading across my face.

"_This_ is our own private little cabin that I rented out for the weekend." Kakashi says with a happy eye crease. "There are ten of them in total, but they're spread out so that it feels like we're all alone in the forest."

"Kakashi, this is wonderful!" I say, giving him a big hug.

"Ah...but there's more," he says mischievously.

"At this point, why am I not surprised?" I shake my head, smiling back at him.

"Ready to take a look inside?" he asks, offering me the crook of his arm to hold onto.

"Absolutely!" I say, and we walk arm in arm together into what will be our very own home away from home for the next couple of days.

~*~*~*~

Upon walking in, the first thing I do is take a deep breath in awe, then let it out slow and easy in relief. With shoji screen doors, tatami mat covered hardwood floors, and simple, paper lantern lamps that give off a soft, warm glow, the Zen-inspired room immediately tells you to just _relax_.

As traditional Japanese decor goes, the room is quite minimal. Against one wall is a low, platform bed, but other than that the only other decor are vases filled with white orchids and lit pillar candles on top of the few tables scattered here and there.

"Wow, Kakashi, it's beautiful!"

"I'm glad you like it, but there's still more," he says, taking my hand and leading me towards the back of the room. He slides one of the shoji doors open and I follow him outside to the cabin's backyard curious as to what else there could possibly be.

Beneath a clear and sunny March sky, I'm shocked to see a beautiful Japanese garden in place of what should have been a dark, overgrown forest. Whoever owns the cabin cleared away a large portion of land behind it, fenced it in with tall bamboo poles, and created the tranquil Japanese garden that I'm looking at now. It contains the 5 main elements of a Japanese garden: water, an island, a bridge, a stone lantern, and a teahouse pavilion. (4) However, since the backyard isn't very big, the owner had to get creative with how s/he incorporated all those elements.

The water is held in a small manmade pool that has smooth riverstones embedded to its walls and bottom, making it blend in better with the natural setting around it and continuing the Zen theme of the cabin.

The island is just a small stone table protruding up from the bottom of the pool and rising up above the water a few inches. Underneath the water and near the table are matching stone stools.

The arched, wooden red bridge only runs the short width of the pool, and bookending the bridge are a pair of stone lanterns.

Lastly, the teahouse pavilion is actually a small, pagoda-roofed gazebo on one corner of the garden with a bistro table and 2 matching chairs to sit and drink tea at. (5)

As condensed as everything is, it's still very beautiful and the fact that everything is done on a small scale makes the garden look quaint and inviting rather than grandiose and intimidating.

The only thing that throws me off, however, is the steam I see rising up from the surface of the pool until I realize what I'm actually looking at. The pool is a pool alright, but the water isn't regular chlorinated water, it's mineral water pumped in from the local hot spring, so that our cabin isn't just a cabin, it's a cabin with its very own private hot spring!

"I see you figured it out." Kakashi says after seeing realization dawn on my face. "I've heard that hot springs are supposed to have healing powers on the body, and considering everything that you've been through, I thought that this would be perfect. And when I looked more into it, I found out that you can even rent out a cabin with its own private hot spring, so...Happy White Day!" Kakashi says with a happy eye crease.

"You are SO sweet and SO thoughtful! Thank you!" I tell him, wrapping my arms around his waist and giving him another big hug.

"Anything for you," he says, kissing me gently on the crown of the head.

We probably could've stayed like that for who knows how long if it wasn't for the _knock, knock, knock_ing and shouts of "Hello? Anyone home?" that we hear at the front door.

"Who's that?" I ask confused. "I thought that this was a private cabin."

"It is, but we still get all the amenities of a full spa." Kakashi explains. "So that's probably our masseuse."

"We get a masseuse?"

"Two actually. One for each of us."

"Are you serious?"

"And we also get room service and a maid to clean up the room."

"How much did you spend on this place?" I ask bewildered.

"Don't worry about that. I can afford it. Like you said: _Just. Be. Happy._" Kakashi says, using my own words against me.

"I am, but you do know that you don't have to buy my love since you already have it."

"I know, but I want a massage, too!" Kakashi says sincerely.

"And here I thought it was all for me!" I laugh. "Alright, let's go get your massage." I say in mock defeat, and Kakashi and I make our way back to the cabin with our arms around each other's waist, ready to get our butts pampered off.

~*~*~*~

"Oh my God, that feels sooo good!" Kakashi groans into the doughnut hole of his face pillow as his masseuse starts to elbow one of the knotted muscles on his back.

I feel my face heat up. The only other times I've ever heard him say those words and in that same fashion was when he and I were making-

"Oh, yes! Right there! Just a little bit harder!" I can't help but groan as my own masseuse starts to squeeze my neck and shoulders which have always been the tensest parts of my body.

I hear Kakashi suddenly grow silent.

I think we both just realized that maybe it would've been better if we gave _each other_ a massage than have complete strangers do it for us. Otherwise, it's just...indecent.

"You need to try to relax," my masseuse berates me, trying to loosen up again the muscles that she had just worked on.

"Please don't forget to breathe." Kakashi's own masseuse scolds him.

"Sorry." Kakashi and I say in unison, trying to get our heads out of the gutter.

After awhile we both start to relax once more, letting our masseuses gently massage and rub away all of our aches and pains. Combined with the soft music they have playing through the ceiling speakers and the flickering light of the many candles spread throughout the room, I feel myself inevitably starting to fall asleep. Apparently, Kakashi has already beaten me to it, made evident by his soft snores.

The _swish_ of a closing sliding door wakes me up after an unknown period of time and when I look around, I see that our masseuses have left. Ninja skills still intact, the subtle sound wakes Kakashi up as well.

"How long have I been asleep?" he asks groggily, turning over on his side to face me.

"Just a little bit longer than me, which apparently has been awhile." I say, noticing how daylight no longer backlights the paper of our shoji doors.

I get up from my massage table, wrap my thick, white cotton towel tight around me, and pad across the tatami mat covered floor. When I slide the door to the backyard open, I see that the sky has turned black with night and it's scattered with millions of stars, a sight reserved only for those out in the middle of nowhere. The full moon, however, is almost as bright as day, making it easy to see everything like the sinuous mist rising up from the heated pool's surface, which adds to the surrealism of the night shrouded Japanese garden.

I feel rather than see Kakashi quietly take his place by my side and I automatically mold against him as he pulls me against his side in a one-armed embrace.

With only the sounds of crickets rubbing their legs together and an owl hooting nearby, it feels like it's only him and me and no one else for miles around. It's a feeling that can be potentially dangerous, especially when in the company of a lover.

Stepping away from Kakashi, I turn my back to him, loosen the towel wrapped around me, and let it fall from my body to pool around my ankles instead. Stepping over the pile of terry cloth, I slowly make my way nude into the pool. At first the water feels way too hot, but once I'm in the water up to my shoulders, my body adjusts to the temperature and it feels good in contrast to the chill of the cool night air.

I frog stroke leisurely and noiselessly to the "island" in the middle of the pool, sit down on one of the underwater stools, then turn around to signal to Kakashi to come join me. His eye widens at my invitation, then he lets the towel around his own waist fall to the ground, swims as fast as only he can towards me, and comes to a stop inches in front of me in less than a blink of an eye, standing on the pool's bottom. I laugh and greet him with a hug and a kiss as any good "islander" does when welcoming a new guest.

I'm still smiling and laughing as I kiss him, but it doesn't take long for our kisses to become more serious. After all, it's difficult to keep a hug and a kiss innocent when you're both naked just below the water's surface.

Cupping my face in his hands, he tilts his head from left to right and back again, kissing me with angled kisses. Then, his hands dip below the water's surface to cup and squeeze my breasts before gently pinching and rolling my hardened nipples between his thumb and pointer finger. His kisses become deeper and more desperate, his tongue entering my mouth to stroke against my own. When we finally part from our kiss, lungs burning and starved for oxygen, we rest our heads together forehead to forehead, panting.

His hands graze down my sides to rest on my hips, then in one swift movement he switches places with me so that he's the one sitting on the underwater stool and I find myself sitting on top, straddling him. Our position is such that I can feel his erection pressing against my stomach. I bring my hand down between us, gently wrap my fingers around his cock, and slowly start to stroke it up and down from base to tip. From the low groan Kakashi emits deep in his throat, I know that I'm making him feel good, so I repeat the motion several times, pleasuring him for as long as I can before giving him one last satisfying pull and raising myself up to guide him to my entrance.

At that moment, I'm thankful that I'd started using birth control pills rather than just relying on condoms. Otherwise, we wouldn't be able to do this now without undoubtedly getting me pregnant. I do want to have children with him someday, but preferably after we're married and had time to enjoy each others company first. After all, it's taken us forever to finally get together. We deserve as much "alone time" as we can get.

His hands still on my hips, Kakashi lifts me slightly off of him only to push me back down again, pulling himself in and out of the tight heat of my body in long, slow, leisurely strokes. In an effort to both help him and to keep my balance, I grip tightly onto the stone table's edge behind him, meeting him thrust for thrust. When he raises his hips up off the stool, I bring mine crashing down, and when he pulls back, I pull up. Our bodies move in sync, the act of lovemaking innate in us.

Aiming for a better angle, Kakashi sits at the stool's edge almost like he's about to fall off, which gives me the chance to plant the soles of my feet on the back of the stool and hover over him in a squatted position. It's a favorable position, giving us equal control and at this angle, he's consistently hitting me at just the right spot. The speed, the friction...All of it is just right and I can feel my body immediately respond to it. A pleasurable heat flares up deep inside of me, then explodes throughout my body as my inner muscles clamp hard all around him at the same time he grips my hips tightly and pushes me down on him as hard as he can, groaning his release at the same time I'm moaning mine. Our bodies tremble and shake a last few times, aftershocks of our climax. I collapse on top of him at the same time he sits limp on his stool, both of us exhausted by our extracurricular activity.

"Kakashi, I've been meaning to tell you something." I say, panting. "And now's probably the best time to tell you while you still have endorphins coursing through your body."

"What is it?" he asks, worry and concern plain on his face.

"Well, as thoughtful and considerate as your hot springs idea was, the truth is, hot springs don't actually help people like me with liver and kidney problems. It's mostly for people who want to detoxify their bodies." I say, scrunching my face up at having to tell him the bad news. (6)

"So my bringing you here isn't going to help you in any way whatsoever?" he asks.

"Well, I wouldn't say _that._ I definitely needed the massage and weekend getaway just to relax and feel like myself again, and _this,_" I say, purposely squeezing my inner muscles tight around him. "Will make anyone feel better." I say with a smirk.

"Can't argue with that!" Kakashi says, smirking back, then wraps his hand around the nape of my neck to give me a long, passionate kiss on the lips.

I feel something twitch deep inside of me, and when we part from our kiss, I look back at him with wide eyes.

"Are you getting..._Again?!_" I ask in disbelief.

"Well you started it by doing _that_." Kakashi says, waving his finger vaguely down to where our bodies are joined.

"What? You mean _this?_" I ask, again squeezing my inner muscles around his undeniably re-hardening member.

"Yup. That'd be it." Kakashi says, tilting his head back both in defeat and pleasure.

"Well, I'm up for a second round if you are." I say mischievously. "But we should probably get out of here before we both give ourselves a fever."

Lovemaking usually leaves us sweaty, but now, submerged in a heated pool, we're sweating even more.

"Shower?" Kakashi suggests.

"You read my mind. Race you?" I ask.

"Shoot, I'll carry you there!" Kakashi says, and true to his word, I squeal as he quickly lifts me off of him, carries me in his arms bridal style, and is out of the pool and back inside the cabin in record time.

~*~*~*~

It's a wonder Kakashi didn't slip on the pool water he trailed onto the bathroom's tile floor and kill us both, he was running so fast! The most I could do was wrap my arms tight around his neck and laugh through the whole ordeal.

Now safe and sound in our bathroom, he carefully puts me down on my feet on the bathroom towel that doubles as a bathmat, turns on the shower, and waits for it to heat up because as much as we had wanted to get out of the heat of the hot spring, we don't want to take a cold shower either. After all, we _want_ to stay horny. So instead, we wait for the water to become comfortably warm before stepping under it.

The shower is made up of three glass walls braced against a fourth wall made up of small blue-green glass mosaic tiles. The space is small and I try to figure out the best way for us to do this. In movies and romance novels, the girl is almost always pushed up against the shower wall, legs wrapped around her lover's waist while he does all the work. And while this may seem extremely hot on-screen or on the page, it doesn't really work out quite as well in real life. Kakashi and I had tried having sex standing up once and it isn't as easy as it looks. It's difficult for him because not only does he have to carry all my weight, but he has to do all the work, too. And it's difficult for me because not only do I have to struggle not to fall off, but I have little to no control over my own movements (and therefore my own pleasure) either. And this is with us trying it outside of a slippery shower! So instead I opt for the more practical choice: I turn around so that I'm facing the mosaic tile wall, brace my hands against it, and wait for Kakashi to enter me from behind. With both our feet planted firmly on the floor and both of us in complete control of our movements, slippery shower or not, this position is a done deal.

Looking over my shoulder, I watch as Kakashi holds himself in his hand, gives himself a couple of good strokes, then guides himself to my entrance. I feel the hardness and pressure of his tip the instant it touches the folds of my sex, pushes them open, and continues to slowly push the rest of its way deep into my body. Kakashi only stops when he's in all the way up to the hilt and can go no further.

Facing forward again and bowing my head down between my outstretched arms, I support myself against the wall in front of me as Kakashi grabs my hips in his hands and starts to slowly pump himself in and out. With me bent over like this, I can feel his tip as it constantly bumps against the front wall of my vagina, the most sensitive and most pleasurable spot inside of me. I hear my deep moans echo and resonate in the confines of the shower, while warm water continues to rain down on us, making each quickening slap of our hips turn into squilching wet noises. That's another reason why I love this position: Not only is it a stable one in an unstable setting, but it also gives the guy the chance to go crazy. With the clear view he gets not only of a female's most private of parts, but of his cock sliding in and out of it, he can't help but go crazy.

I feel myself getting close, the heat and tension deep inside of me growing hotter and tighter. And from the sound of Kakashi's shortening breaths and equally shortening thrusts, I can tell that he's getting close, too. Wanting to give me the chance to climax before he does (Otherwise, I forfeit my chance) Kakashi wraps his arm around my waist, reaches for my clit, and rubs against it as quickly as he can with the pads of his fingertips, his hand a blur as he brings me over the edge. I scream as I experience yet another hard orgasm, but the sound seems to egg Kakashi on and he pounds into me harder and faster than ever before. It isn't long before his thrusts start to slow and he starts to push into me in longer, deeper thrusts. Then, he tugs my hips as hard as he can against his one last time and groans his release. Once he stops pushing me up against the shower wall and his body relaxes, I'm able to relax my body as well and simply enjoy the kisses he starts sprinkling on the back of my neck.

A minute later, we step out of the shower, dry ourselves off, and make our way exhaustedly back into bed, both of us falling almost immediately asleep in each others arms. It's been a long, tiring day, but fortunately, it's a good kind of tired. When every part of your body, heart, and soul is exhausted from too much fun and too much lovin'...Yeah, it's the good kind of tired.

~*~*~*~

I wake up in the middle of the night with a start, a thought occurring to me: For everything that Kakashi did to make my White Day special - cook for me, bring me breakfast in bed, give me my beautiful engagement ring, take me away for the weekend with the intention to help me get better - I never got my white chocolate. I know it's a small thing in comparison to everything else, but getting my white chocolate is what officially makes White Day, White Day. It's like having a big, huge birthday celebration, but not getting to blow out the candles on your cake because nobody thought to bring the candles.

"What's wrong?" Kakashi asks, looking at me worriedly.

"Well, it's just that-" but before I can finish, Kakashi carefully places something on my pillow.

Reaching for it and holding it up to the bright moonlight pouring in through the bedroom window, I see a small, pure white chocolate heart, and just beyond it, a smiling Kakashi.

I smile back at him. He hadn't forgotten, after all. He was just saving the best for last.

To be continued...

* * *

Happy White Day, everyone!

Remove spaces for links.

(1) White Day:

en . wikipedia . org/wiki/White_day

(2) Image of Sakura's ring:

jonsjewels . co . uk/userimages/Picture%20067(2) . jpg

(3) Image of bungalow:

k53 . pbase . com/g4/81/662581/2/61317844 . TypicalJapanesehouse . jpg

(4) Japanese garden elements:

japaneselifestyle . com . au/garden/japanese_garden_elements . html

(5) Image of pagoda-roofed gazebo:

gcs-online . co . uk/Assets/Images/gazebo_arbour/rowlinson/pagoda_lg . jpg

(6) Hot springs' limits (near bottom of page):

eytonsearth. org/balneology-balneotherapy . php#balneology


	51. 1st Time KakaSaku Celebrate Saku's Bday

Disclaimer: I do not own _Naruto_ or the song "I'm Yours" by Jason Mraz. I am not making any money by borrowing their characters or lyrics for this story.

Thank you as always to my readers and special thanks to those of you who took the time to review!

**7/16/09 Update:** **kamaruu from Deviant Art** was so sweet and did a fanart called **"KakaSaku FATED"** for this story by coloring in one of my favorite linearts and superimposing a quote from this chapter. I think she did a lovely job and I love it, so please check it out! Here's a link. Just remember to remove the spaces:

kamaruu. deviantart. com/art/KakaSaku-FATED-129801311

Thanks again, kamaruu! ^_^

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**Chapter 51-The First Time KakaSaku Celebrate Sakura's Birthday**

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According to my mom, coming up with a name for me wasn't very difficult.

Exactly 23 years ago, on the 28th of March, my parents decided to host a hanami party for their friends.

Hanami parties, or cherry blossom viewing parties, are common in Japan. It's a practice many centuries old that became prevalent in the ninja countries, such as Fire, as well.

Hanami is said to have started when the Chinese Tang Dynasty influenced Japan in many ways, one of which was the custom of enjoying flowers. Though it was ume blossoms, or plum blossoms, that people admired in the beginning, sakura, or cherry blossoms, came to attract more attention. Sakura was originally used to divine the year's harvest as well as announce the rice-planting season. People believed in gods' existence inside the trees and made offerings at their roots. Afterwards, they partook of the offering with sake. (1)

Nowadays, hanami parties usually entail having a picnic under the sakura trees with people eating, drinking, singing, and having fun. People usually bring food, barbecue, or buy food from vendors. (2)

So while my dad worked the barbecue pit, their friends sipped their sake, and my mom sat on a blanket under a cherry blossom tree enjoying her dango, I apparently thought that this was all a pretty sweet deal and wanted to join in on the fun...And ultimately turned what was supposed to be a quiet, pleasant evening looking up at pretty pink trees into one of mass chaos instead.

The barbecue was burnt to a black crisp, my parents' friends either spilled or spit their sake out in a spray, and my mom almost choked on the dumpling she was chewing on as I gave her one hell of a contraction.

Three hours of painful labor later, the Konoha hospital nurses cleaned me up, wrapped me up, and handed me to my mom. My dad said that my pale pink hair matched perfectly with the pale pink blanket the nurses had wrapped me in. With that and everything else that had happened that day, my mom said that I was, without a doubt, a Sakura.

~*~*~*~

"Sakura, are you sure?"

"I'm positive. I'd rather just go to the festival. Trust me, I don't want a party. Besides, with all the activity going on, it'll already feel like _everyone_ is celebrating my birthday." I smile at Kakashi.

"That's an interesting way of looking at things," he says, smiling back with an amused look in his eye.

"They're celebrating sakuras in bloom. They really _are_ celebrating my birthday. Some of them just don't know it." I say with a wink before slipping into the other room to change for the Cherry Blossom Festival.

~*~*~*~

It's been over a decade since I dropped the princess act of my youth and traded it in for the more sensible head on my shoulders, but even the most sensible and practical of women enjoys an excuse to dress up and flaunt her femininity every now and then. If anything, our down-to-earth attitude in our day-to-day lives only gives us even more motivation to do so.

Sliding open the closet door, I pull out my reward from a dare I had with Kakashi not so long ago.

Three months. Has it really only been that long since we first started dating each other and he dared me to stand up for myself? So much has happened between us since then that it feels like we've been a couple for much longer than that. Not that it's a bad thing. It's a _very_ good thing. Neither of us have been in a real relationship with anyone, much less one that's lasted for three months and still going strong. It's something to be proud of, especially with the odds against us all along the way. We didn't get the convenience of simply slipping into this relationship. We had to, and still have to, keep fighting for it. And whenever you have to fight for something, it only makes that thing even more valuable.

Placing the symbol of that fight to hold onto dignity and pride carefully on the bed, I admire the way the pale pink silk shines under the late morning light pouring in through the bedroom window. I lightly trace the intricate brocade pattern of cherry blossom branches with the pads of my fingertips, and it's only then that I realize how well the pink diamond of my engagement ring matches perfectly with the pale pink of the kimono.

_I didn't want to give you a ring that was just a ring. I wanted to give you something special, something with meaning behind it,_ Kakashi had said on White Day, the day he slipped the ring on my finger.

That's the way our relationship has always been: Not just a fling, or a mid-life crisis, or an attempt to promote myself in the ninja ranks by gaining favor with my former sensei. There's always been a deeper meaning behind our relationship. One based on respect, trust, and a genuine love for one another. Is it any surprise then that our gifts to each other should carry meaning as well?

So when I come out of the bedroom half an hour later dressed in the kimono Kakashi had given me, my hair twisted up in an elegant French roll on the back of my head, and he tells me how beautiful I look, I don't hesitate to raise myself up on tiptoes and give him one of longest, sweetest kisses I had ever given him.

"What was _that_ for?" he asks both in surprise and confusion.

I say nothing and merely smile back knowingly at him over my shoulder, fully aware that his one exposed eye is still wide open in shock even as I turn my back to him and exit through the door he's holding open.

_Women are an enigma_ is a world known adage, but Hatake Kakashi is a genius. He'll figure it out.

~*~*~*~

The Cherry Blossom Festival is well on its way when we arrive, civilians and ninja alike having staked their claim over a particular sakura tree by laying their blankets, food, and karaoke machines underneath it. There aren't enough sakura trees to go around, so some people are walking around instead, trying to find the vendor booth selling the best food.

With the enticing aroma of so many different kinds of food floating through the air, Kakashi and I also decide to find something to eat first, proving the proverb "dumplings rather than flowers" (meaning that most people don't really come to hanami parties to look at flowers, but to stuff themselves with food) to be true. There's so much to choose from that it's difficult to decide, but we settle on some teppanyaki barbecue (Chouji's favorite), yakitori (a kind of chicken kabob), and dango (sweet dumplings). (3)

With our hands laden with food, we look around for a place to sit down and eat. We're about to give up and just eat standing up when we see a family getting up to leave. We rush in to take their place under a cherry blossom tree before somebody else does. Once we've sat down and eaten our fill (With Kakashi quickly scarfing down his food just to hide his face from the general public), Kakashi leans back on his elbows with his legs stretched out and crossed at the ankles in front of him while I wrap my arms around my bent legs and hug my knees close to my chest. Full, sated, and comfortably situated, we do what we actually came here to do: Not just eat, but gaze up and admire the many trees overtaken by pink flowers.

I'm proud and grateful for my namesake. How can I not be? Sakuras are beautiful. It could've been worse. I could've been named "scraggly, dried up desert tree," but then the image of a particular one pops up in my head. One whose shade Kakashi and I shared during a mission to Suna and one under which we had made a promise of all promises to each other.

"What are you smiling about?" Kakashi asks, the lilt in his voice hinting to his own smile beneath his mask.

"Nothing." I say, shrugging my shoulders. "Just thinking about the last tree we sat under and how far we've come since then."

"Ah, I see." Kakashi says, following my line of sight to look at the cherry blossom tree that I'm gazing at across from ours. "Yes, sakuras are definitely easier on the eyes," he says.

I'd have thought nothing of the comment except that from the corner of my eye I see him looking at me from the corner of his.

I feel my face heat up, but redirect my eyes forward and narrow them at the tree before me.

"Yes they are, but you really shouldn't put too much stock on appearances. The reason we have hanamis in the first place is because cherry blossoms don't last very long and we have to enjoy them while we can. Meanwhile, as ugly as that scraggly tree was out in the desert, it'll still be there for years to come in spite of its harsh surroundings."

"Also true." Kakashi says, tilting his head as if to look at the sakura tree before us better. "But at the heart of it all, they're the same kind of tree. Just think, sakura trees produce flowers year after year in spite of how short lived those blossoms are and not producing any fruit. The effort seems useless, but they keep doing it anyway and end up benefiting us with their beauty instead. So if you look at it that way, we admire both trees for their resilience and not just how they look on the outside."

I turn my head to look Kakashi directly in the eye and he meets my gaze with his own.

"You just know how to talk yourself out of a sticky situation, don't you?" I ask.

"Yamato always did say I have a way with words. And kudos to you for turning that tree into a Rorschach Test with a hidden personal agenda." Kakashi says, his eye glinting playfully back at me.

"I don't know what you're talk about. I was just admiring the trees." I say, facing forward again and trying to suppress a smile. "But thank you. It's nice to know that you're into hanamis for a better reason than most people."

"You do know that I could just be full of it and just like looking at sakuras like everyone else?" Kakashi asks.

"Yes, I know, but most people don't even bother thinking that deeply about sakuras in the first place: They look, they admire, they leave. You on the other hand-" I turn my head at the same time Kakashi turns his to look at me expectantly. "Are a tenacious, scraggly, desert tree."

"Sounds like we have a lot in common then," he muses.

"You wouldn't think so, would you? And I admit it's an odd coupling, but yes, it seems that we were made for each other."

"I couldn't have said it better myself," Kakashi agrees, and we both turn around again to pay reverence to the fleeting, but ever stubborn sakuras.

~*~*~*~

While in search of something to drink other than sake or beer, we run into a traditional Japanese tea ceremony being performed by a young girl dressed in a yukata, a less formal version of the kimono. Intrigued, Kakashi and I find an empty spot behind all the people already circled around the demonstration and quietly watch. (4)

For all its pomp and circumstance, the main difference between the Western way of making tea and the traditional Japanese way of making tea is that instead of letting a tea bag or tea leaves seep in a cup full of hot water, dried tea leaves that were ground up into a fine powder called _matcha_ are put into a shallow bowl (not a cup) called a _chawan_. Then, hot water is poured over the powder and stirred with a small bamboo whisk called a _chasen_. And there ladies and gentleman, is your seemingly complicated traditional Japanese tea ceremony simplified to its bare basics. There is meaning and significance behind all the bowl turning and ladle holding, however, so Kakashi and I watch and wait patiently for our beverage, at the very least to pay respect to our cultural heritage.

Our thirst not quite quenched by the few sips of green tea, Kakashi and I do our rounds again and in the process of doing so, see a little girl holding her mom's hand with one hand while holding a mouth watering ice cream cone in the other.

"Excuse me. Where did you get that?" I shamelessly stop and ask the mother of the child.

A few minutes later, I'm happily licking my own pink sakura ice cream while Kakashi, who still blatantly disregards my warnings about eating his food too fast, already inhaled his. (5)

"Don't you have an ice cream headache doing that?" I look at him slightly aghast.

"Why do you think I'm taking deep breaths?" he asks.

"Oh." I say, because as I medic I know that taking deep, rapid breaths helps relieve ice cream headaches. (6) "Still, you wouldn't have that problem in the first place if you would just eat your food properly and let people see you with your mask off." I say, narrowing my eyes at him.

"In our agreement, you didn't say anything about having to take my mask off. Besides, I'm already practically naked!"

I let my eyes quickly skim over Kakashi's bare arms, his ANBU tattoo, then his lean, muscular chest showing through his tight black tank top with attached mask before letting my eyes meet his again.

"You are not practically naked!" I snap back. "You're wearing pants and a shirt. How is that 'practically naked'? Besides," I say before he can even begin to answer back, "Is it so bad that all I wanted for my birthday was to see you out in public in something _other than_ your jounin uniform?"

"What's wrong with-"

"You're off duty!"

"But I like-"

"Yes! A bit too much! Who only owns work clothes and nothing else? Even what you're wearing now is still part of your uniform: You only took your vest and long sleeve shirt off and left everything else on!"

"Sakura, calm down. People are looking."

As I look around us, I see that it's true: People _are_ looking. Who wouldn't be after seeing a grown woman, who's holding a half eaten ice cream cone, go into hysterics for no apparent reason?

"I don't care!" I say petulantly. "I asked for one thing on my birthday, one simple little thing and you couldn't even-"

"Alright, Sakura, how about this?" Kakashi says in a soft, soothing manner while putting his hand on my back and guiding us away from the denser crowd. "From now on, you can help me look for some civilian clothes to add to my wardrobe, but-" he interrupts me after seeing the excited look in my eyes, "It has to be something that we _both_ agree on. Deal?"

"Deal." I smile back and quickly hug him around the neck. "This is the best birthday gift ever!"

When I pull away, Kakashi points a warning finger at me.

"Sakura, don't make me regret agreeing to let you dress me up like a man doll." Kakashi says in his sensei voice.

"I won't! I promise!" I laugh. "Trust me, if people think you're smexy now, wait 'til they see what I do to you!"

"I can hardly wait." Kakashi says, slumping his shoulders in surrender.

I'm just about to go into the advantages of casual jeans and a tight gray t-shirt when somewhere far off in the distance, we hear the discorded sound of clanking bells, beating drums, and the high pitched melody of a flute. I recognize it as traditional Japanese music and as I listen more closely, realize that not only is it getting louder, but it's getting closer.

Coming around the corner of a dango shop, I see a group of women dressed in colorful yukatas with upside down, taco shaped straw hats, called an amigasa, on their heads. They're all dancing the same dance, arms outstretched like a soaring eagle and stamping their wooden sandaled feet to the beat of the music. The heels of their geta (as their wooden sandals are called) are so high up off the ground that the women seem to be dancing on their tiptoes. There's something vaguely familiar about the dance, however, and then it hits me: I've seen this dance before. In order to pay tribute to the spirits of nature, American Indians would dance around a fire in a similar fashion. Although oceans apart, these two very different cultures, Japanese and American Indian, seem to have overlapped each other in this one dance. It's through costume, music, and the people themselves that the dance I see before me now distinguishes itself as one hundred percent Japanese, one that's called the Odori dance. (7) Another distinguishing mark of the Odori dance is how it's the women (not the men) dancing the bouncing spirit dance while it's the group of men behind them, each wearing a colorful loose fitting coat called a happi, who are the ones hunched over and quickly flicking their fans (normally an effeminate action) while they dance.

As the group of dancers continue to parade down the streets of Konoha, we and the rest of the crowd follow them as they lead us into the park, the same park where Rock Lee had trained to get his strength back after his devastating injuries at the Chuunin Exam. The dancers climb up on a stage built specifically for the festival where they dance twice as fast and energetically than they had out on the streets, and when it seems that the music and the dancing can go no faster, they halt to a dramatic end to everyone's applause.

Kakashi and I take a seat on the lawn to watch the next dancer to come on stage, a young girl who, like me, is dressed in a traditional kimono, but unlike me this girl has strong, dramatic makeup on. Her face and neck are so heavily powdered that she looks white as a ghost and her lips are painted a brilliant shade of red. The stark contrast between white, red, and the jet black of her hair pulled up in a poofy bun makes her look not human at all, more like a china doll set on invisible strings by a puppeteer. Even her movements are stinted, like a puppet's whose joints can only move so far in either direction. This is the Kyomai dance. (8) It's like a slow interpretive dance with several poses and hand gestures that tell a story. It's the polar opposite of the dance that preceded it, the Odori dance, which is more energetic and full of bouncing around.

To finish off the stage performances, a group of young dancers, both male and female, overtake the stage, each of them wearing the loose fitting happi coats we had seen worn by the first group of fan-bearing male Odori dancers. However, this new group wears the traditional garb in a more modern fashion, leaving their coats untied and open in the front, worn more like an afterthought over their contemporary black shirts and black pants. The costume is telling because the dance this group is dancing is the same way: A mix of old and new, and it's called the So-ran Bushi dance. (9) Like the Kyomai dance, there are identifiable poses that seem to tell a story: the beating of drumsticks, the pulling of a tow rope, or the swinging of a field scythe, but like the Odori dance, it's extremely lively and highly energetic. It looks like quite a workout, like something you'd see at an aerobics class or out in the field as farmers plow their land. And if their individual movements aren't enough to leave you breathless and with your heart pounding in your chest, they dance in a constantly changing group formation so that you have to watch the performance as a whole and not concentrate on just one performer for too long a period of time. When they finally come to a climactic finish, it's with a well deserved standing ovation.

As evening darkens to night, everything starts to wind down and the sakura trees are lit by hanging paper lanterns, giving the hanami experience a different kind of vibe, one that's more subdued and romantic called yozakura, or "night sakura." Kakashi puts one arm around my shoulders and the other hand in his pocket while I wrap one around his waist and we both walk at a slow, leisurely pace, savoring every last bit of this day.

I figure that we're just headed back for home, but as we turn the next corner, I see standing underneath one of the softly lit cherry blossom trees and smiling back at me the people who mean the most to me: Mom, Dad, Naruto, Hinata, Ino, Shishou...so many people that I love and care for.

"What's this?" I ask, turning to look up at Kakashi.

"I know you said you didn't want a party, but there are a lot of people who love you besides me who also deserve the right to be with you on your birthday, so..." Kakashi trails off, shrugging his shoulders.

"Thank you." I say softly, giving him a long hug before turning around to hug and thank each of my friends and family in turn.

When I've finished embracing the last person and turn back to Kakashi, he's carrying a bouquet of white daffodils in his arms.

"Told you I'd remember." Kakashi says with a happy eye crease.

I take the bouquet from him and give him a lingering kiss on his masked lips.

"I take it back." I tell him. "_This_ is the best birthday gift ever." And we both turn around to watch as everyone dear to us starts to put food they brought onto their plates, or chat with each other, or simply sit on their blankets and look up at the lit sakura trees or up at the bright stars in the dark night sky.

The air is cool as late March nights go, but the atmosphere around us feels warm and homey. As long as you're with the people who make you feel safe and loved, no matter where you are, you'll feel it, too.

Once everyone finishes up their dinner and I finish blowing out my cake and opening up all my gifts, everyone takes their embarrassing turn singing with the karaoke machine, but when shy little Hinata takes the microphone, she blows everyone away. She picks a song that is normally sung at a quicker pace and slows it down to a much sweeter, romantic one. (10) There's no denying who she's really singing it to as her eyes can't stop flickering back to a certain blond haired fox boy...

_**Well you done done me and you bet I felt it  
I tried to be chill but you're so hot that I melted  
I fell right through the cracks  
Now I'm trying to get back**_

But we're all taken in by the sweetness of her voice and the song itself. So when Kakashi stands up and offers me his hand, I don't hesitate to take it and dance a slow dance with him.

_**Before the cool done run out  
I'll be giving it my bestest**_

As we sway and turn around and around together in slow circles, I can't help but notice how some other yozakura-goers outside of our group have stopped to stare. I know it's not just because Kakashi and I are dancing, because other people in our group have started dancing, too, like my mom and dad and even Naruto and Hinata even as she continues to sing. No, the reason those outsiders are pointing and murmuring to each other about Kakashi and me is because we make it obvious that we're together and to those strangers who don't know us, it's wrong.

"People are watching." I quietly tell Kakashi.

"Who?"

"Look." I tell him, and Kakashi purposely turns us around so that he can see the people conspiratorially whispering to each other.

"You see them?" I ask.

"Yeah, I see them." Kakashi says, and from the tone of his voice I can tell that he's not too happy about it either.

"Maybe we should stop dancing." I suggest.

"No." Kakashi says firmly. "I'm not going to stop dancing with you. They can mock us all they want for all I care: I'm not dancing with them, I'm dancing with _you_."

_**And nothing's going to stop me but divine intervention**_

I notice that Kakashi doesn't turn me back around and we just continue to sway in place. He keeps my back to the crowd so that I can't see them again and forces himself not to look at them either, focusing all his attention on my face instead.

I'm flattered by the gesture. Even in this, he tries to protect me. And he's right: Who cares what they think? This dance that we're dancing, we'll be dancing it together for the rest of our lives. Meanwhile, those passersby will just be that: Passersby.

_**I reckon it's again my turn  
To win some or learn some**_

So I smile up at him and try to convey to him how much I appreciate the lesson.

_**But I won't hesitate no more, no more  
It cannot wait  
I'm yours  
Mmm-hmm...(Hey, hey...hey)**_

It's not our fault that some people are close minded.

_**Well open up your mind and see like me**_

There will always be people like that in this world, but we can't stop making our plans to be together just because of them.

**_Open up your plans and damn you're free_**

I only have to look into Kakashi's eye and see the reason why we can't give into those kind of people.

_**I look into your heart and you'll find love love love love**_

And I only have to look at my family and friends' and their acceptance of us to know that if those strangers knew us the way our family and friends did, they might change their minds about us.

**_Listen to the music of the moment people dance and sing  
We're just one big family  
And it's our God forsaken right to be loved love love loved love_**

So I won't concern myself with people who think they know better, but don't.

_**So I won't hesitate no more, no more**_

And I can't wait to marry and continue to live the rest of my life with Kakashi.

_**It cannot wait I'm sure**_

And show everyone just how uncomplicated this relationship of ours is.

_**There's no need to complicate**_

Besides, we're both ninja. We don't know how much time we have left to be with the ones we truly love.

_**Our time is short**_

And nothing and no one can, or should, stop two people fated to be together.

_**This is our fate  
I'm yours**_

So when Kakashi lowers his head down to whisper in my ear how much he loves me and Happy Birthday,

_**Do you wanta come on  
Scooch on over closer dear  
And I will nibble your ear**_

I stop checking myself and my actions and instead thread my fingers through his hair, bring his masked lips down onto mine, and earnestly and contentedly kiss him.

_**I've been spending way too long checking my tongue in the mirror  
And bending over backwards just to try to see it clearer  
But my breath fogged up the glass  
And so I drew a new face and I laughed  
I guess what I'll be saying is there ain't no better reason  
To rid yourself of vanities and just go with the seasons  
It's what we aim to do  
Our name is our virtue**_

_**But I won't hesitate no more, no more  
It cannot wait I'm yours**_

_**Open up your mind and see like me  
Open up your plans and damn you're free  
I look into your heart and you'll find that  
The sky is yours  
So please don't, please don't, please don't  
There's no need to complicate  
'Cause our time is short  
This oh this oh this is our fate  
I'm yours**_

Because what it all comes down to is him and me and everyone else just fades into the background.

To be continued...

* * *

Happy Birthday, Sakura! ^_^

Remove spaces for links.

(1) Cherry blossom viewing in Japan:

en . wikipedia . org/wiki/Hanami

(2) Modern day hanami parties:

gojapan . about . com/cs/cherryblossoms/a/sakuraviewing . htm

(3) Cherry blossom viewing food:

japanesefood . about . com/cs/holidays/a/hanamifood . htm

(4) Watch a traditional Japanese tea ceremony:

youtube . com/watch?v=4FfUbnaXecg

- Watch a casual Japanese tea ceremony:

youtube . com/watch?v=oNMh0tdwxyQ

(5) Image of sakura ice cream (April 2 entry):

youmadam . com/category/reports-from-japan/

(6) Cure for the ice cream headache:

en . wikipedia . org/wiki/Brain_freeze

(7) Listen to traditional Japanese music and watch an Odori dance:

youtube . com/watch?v=OUxdh5Hy_ws

- 2 types of traditional Japanese dance:

en . wikipedia . org/wiki/Traditional_Japanese_dance

(8) Watch a Kyomai dance:

youtube . com/watch?v=PrIES_h05aY

(9) Watch a So-ran Bushi dance:

youtube . com/watch?v=ZegdMSZaWac

(10) Listen to the song "I'm Yours":

youtube . com/watch?v=zut0TznmSu0


	52. 1st Time KakaSaku Celebrate Golden Week

Happy (early) Birthday, kanata! Hope this makes up for Japan not celebrating May Day, your birthday! ^_^

**WARNING:** This chapter contains explicit sexual content!

* * *

**Chapter 52-The First Time KakaSaku Celebrate Golden Week**

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* * *

  
**

Like everyone else fortunate enough to celebrate it, I'm excited that it's Golden Week. Sure, it's time meant to be spent reflecting on the various holidays taking place between the end of April and early May:

April 29 - Showa Day, the Emperor's Birthday  
May 3 - Constitution Memorial Day  
May 4 - Greenery Day, or Nature Day  
May 5 - Children's Day

And sure it got the name "Golden Week" because that's the time when movies bring in the most money, but for most people like myself, we consider it a golden week because it means one week's PAID VACATION! Shannaro!

One week away from Shishou's piles of paperwork, one week away from all my patients at the hospital, one week away from assigned missions, one week to do anything that _I_ want! Gotta love Golden Week! ^_^

Golden Week is also an extremely popular time to travel (Hence, the reason why many Japanese tourists are seen in other countries this time of year), so Kakashi and I decide to cross the Great Naruto Bridge and spend our first Golden Week together in Wave Country. While our first time coming to Wave was to fulfill our first real mission, we're going back there now to simply lay back, relax, and enjoy some sun, water, and maybe even visit some old friends: Tazuna, the bridge builder, and Inari, his grandson.

The sun is bright and the sky is clear when Kakashi and I make our journey on this fine April day. By mid-afternoon we have Fire Country at our backs, Wave straight ahead, and to our left and to our right and just beyond the bridge's railings, nothing but ocean waves sparkling under the sun like a million cut diamonds. Already I can make out houses built up on stilts and seeing them again is a bit disarming.

"This feels weird." I comment, looking around at surroundings both familiar and strange at the same time. They're like pieces of a half forgotten dream shocking me with their sharp reality. In turn, sharp reality stirs up memories of a half forgotten dream.

"I know what you mean." Kakashi says, also looking around him. "That's nostalgia for you."

"Actually, I meant that it's weird walking on a bridge named after Naruto! (1) I mean, it's _just_ Naruto! It's like having a bridge named after your annoying little brother!"

Kakashi's eye widens in comprehension, then softens with patience and understanding.

"Well, to us he may be 'Just Naruto,' but he's someone who has accomplished a lot of great things and other people just naturally want to put him up on a pedestal." Kakashi reasons.

"I know, and he deserves it more than anyone, but it doesn't stop it from being weird. It's like when people talk about you being 'The Great Copy Nin.' To me you're just Kaka-sensei. The one who's late all the time and has a thing for written porn."

Kakashi laughs and wraps an arm around my waist, pulling me against his side.

"And how do you think I feel when people talk about the Godaime's great apprentice who saved the life of the Kazekage's brother?" he asks. "Your reputation precedes you, too, and it's just as intimidating, but to me you're just sweet, thoughtful Sakura who can just as easily heal your ribs back together as much as have been the one to break them in the first place!"

"Aww...That's the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me!" I say, playfully bumping my hip against his.

"Point is," Kakashi laughs, "We're all accomplished in our own way, and yeah, it is kind of weird when people put us up on a pedestal like that, but at least we have each other to put us in our place."

"I don't think anyone can put Mr. I'm Going To Be Hokage Someday! in his place. He's too far gone!" I say, shaking my head.

"Now I don't know about that. All you have to do is look at Naruto the wrong way and he'll--"

"I can't believe it! You're back!" a young man working on the dock interrupts us. He has dark, short hair, equally dark colored eyes and he's tall, lean, and handsome. Despite being a fully grown teenager now, this boy - no - young _man_ is without a doubt Inari.

"...Crap his pants." Kakashi finishes off distractedly.

~*~*~*~

It's happened to most of us. We go to a party or some other type of social function and these _strangers_ come up to us and say, "Oh my gosh! I remember you when you were just a baby!" and we think to ourselves, _Okay...Who the heck are you and I don't see what the big deal is,_ while politely faking a smile. Then, we grow up and end up doing the same thing to some poor clueless kid.

It's just that sometimes we remember people a certain way and imagine them to always look that way in spite of the passage of time. It's been 11 years since I last visited Wave, but when I think of Inari, I still think of the little boy who gathered up all the villagers and stood up against shipping mogul Gatô. So the "big deal" is that we're surprised by our own state of denial.

Now standing in Inari's old home (at least some things stay the same), I'm trying not to look too shocked when Inari gently wraps his arm around the waist of a beautiful young woman with straight, long, raven-colored hair and introduces her as--

"...my girlfriend, Youkou." Inari says with a proud smile.

It's taking all of my willpower not to gush "You have a girlfriend?! Our little Inari has a girlfriend?!" but I politely smile at Youkou, shake her hand and say "It's nice to meet you" instead. I may be shocked at how grown up Inari is, but that's no reason to embarrass him either.

Kakashi is taking his turn to shake Youkou's hand when a crotchety old voice at the top of the stairs asks "Who's there?"

Inari's eyes brighten up.

"Grandpa, you won't believe it! It's--"

"Well I'll be damned." Tazuna interrupts Inari, looking between Kakashi and me with a warm, friendly smile.

Kakashi and I smile back. It really is starting to feel more and more like a homecoming.

~*~*~*~

At 70 years old, Tazuna's hair is now pure white and his back is a little more stooped, but his handshake proves that he's still as strong as ever.

"Are you here for a mission?" he asks.

"No, we're actually here on vacation for Golden Week." Kakashi says with a happy eye crease.

"Ah, well good for you! Does that mean Naruto and the other dark haired kid are off sightseeing then?" Tazuna asks, apparently thinking that _all_ of old Team 7 is here on vacation.

"No, it's just the two of us this time." Kakashi says, still with a happy eye crease.

Tazuna looks between Kakashi and me with growing suspicion in his eyes.

"Really. You must be very close to your students to spend time with them even on your time off." Tazuna says with a slight edge to his voice.

"No, not really. Just this one." Kakashi says, happily tipping his head in my direction.

_Idiot!_ Doesn't he see that Tazuna is about to have a brain aneurysm?!

"What he _means_ to say," I say, sweeping in and shooting Kakashi a "You're such an idiot!" look, "Is that he's no longer my teacher, hasn't been in years, and that we're actually engaged now." I say, raising my hand up so that Tazuna, Inari, and Youkou can see my ring.

Tazuna lets out a breath he seems to have been holding and a wave of relief washes over his face and therefore, everyone else's face as well.

"Congratulations!" he says, his warm smile returning.

"Yes, congratulations." Inari and Youkou smile back at us.

"Sounds like we have a lot of catching up to do." Inari muses. "If you don't have any plans, Mom should be back from the market soon and you can have dinner with us. I'm sure she won't mind. If anything, she'll be excited to see you, too!" he says cheerfully.

"We'd really like that." I say.

"Would you like some iced tea while you wait?" he asks.

"Yes, please. It's been a really long journey and iced tea sounds perfect!"

And Kakashi and I follow Inari, his girlfriend, and his grandfather as they lead the way into the kitchen. With everyone walking ahead of us and no one else to see, I quickly slap Kakashi upside the head.

"I swear, you can be as dense as Naruto sometimes!" I softly hiss at him.

"Yes, I can be." Kakashi says, slumping his shoulders in defeat and following me into the kitchen like a dog with its tail between its legs.

~*~*~*~

"He didn't!"

"With a mini crossbow and everything!" I laugh.

"Are you serious? What did he expect to do with that?!" Youkou asks, covering the smile on her face with her hand.

"Maybe he was hoping to hit them in the ass. You know, like cupid with his darts?" Tazuna interjects.

All of us laugh...except for one.

"I'm sitting right here, you know?"

We all turn to look at Inari sitting across the table from us. He has his arms folded tightly against his chest and a sullen look on his face, but instead of feeling bad for laughing at him and his antics back when he was little, his reaction just makes us laugh even more. And for me, it brings up fond memories of how he wore that same expression when I first met him over a decade ago.

"Oh, Inari, don't be that way. It was very brave of you to stand up to those thugs and I'm proud to be with someone that courageous that young!" Youkou says, smiling at him with warmth in her eyes.

The pout on Inari's lips slowly melts into a smile and his narrowed eyes lighten up with confidence and pride. Even his chest puffs out a little so that although he still has his arms folded in front of his chest, it's no longer a pose of someone sulking, but someone strutting like a peacock.

We all take notice of the change in Inari and smile at how good Youkou is for him. Her name is befitting of her: She truly is Inari's sunshine, and with Inari's past, he can use as much joy and happiness as he can get.

"Well, business seems to be booming." Kakashi says, pulling his mask down and taking a chopstick full of rice and butterfish into his mouth so quickly that the action is just a blur, making Inari, Youkou, and Tazuna tilt their heads to the side to look at Kakashi oddly.

"Yes, yes it is." Tazuna says, raising one eyebrow up as if he doesn't know what to make of his guest. "And it's all thanks to the Great Naruto Bridge. Now that we're connected to the mainland, not only are we a major shipping port, but we get a lot of tourists as well, like yourself."

Kakashi does another quick pullmaskdown, takeabite, pullmaskbackup.

The look on Tazuna's face pretty much says that he's unsure whether getting more tourists, like Kakashi, is a good thing or a bad thing.

"Speaking of which, where are you two staying?" Tsunami, Inari's mom, asks while putting generous amounts of more food on our plates. "You're free to stay here like last time if you'd like."

"Thank you, but we already have hotel reservations at Minami Island. We haven't seen Wave Country's other islands yet, so we thought it'd be nice to stay at one for awhile." Kakashi says.

"Oh, you guys will love Minami!" Inari says enthusiastically. "Their beaches are so much nicer than ours since they're facing the open ocean and the waves actually break up the rocks, not like here where the water is just a calm inlet between Fire and Wave."

"When did you go to Minami?" I ask, surprised. Just as I had imagined Inari as eternally 8 years old, I also imagined him to always be planted in his home island as well.

"I go there a lot, actually. I was there only last week to take care of a business dispute between Minami's fishermen and one of our shipping companies."

"You're a businessman?" I ask, once again surprised at this aspect of Inari I didn't know about.

"Well, I handle most kind of disputes, not just business. I'm what you'd call a general liaison. My job is to make sure everyone in Wave's 24 islands gets along with each other."

"I had no idea you had taken on such a prominent position!" I say, impressed.

"It all started a little after Naruto and you guys left. Our Daimyo heard about how I got the villagers to go up against Gatô, which even _he_ couldn't do, and he asked me to come visit him at the castle. So Grandpa, Mom, and I traveled up to Omo Island where there was a big gala party to honor Grandpa and me for our accomplishments. After talking to me for awhile, the Daimyo asked if I wouldn't mind working for him someday. I said 'Sure' and then the next day we went back home and everything pretty much went back to normal. Then 2 years ago, I graduated from school and the Daimyo asked for me again, and again Grandpa, Mom, and I made the trip up to the castle. The Daimyo said that he never forgot about me and what I had done for my country and asked me again if I wouldn't mind working for him. I asked him what kind of job he had in mind and he said the kind of job I'm good at already, which is national relations, and so here I am." Inari says with a shrug of his shoulders. "Don't look so shocked." Inari says with a playful grin, and I promptly close my mouth which I didn't even know I had open.

"I'm sorry! It's just that when Kakashi and I ran into you earlier you were working on the dock, so I thought that you were a fisherman. I never imagined that you'd be working directly under the Daimyo!"

Inari turns a bright shade of red and rubs the back of his neck in a very Kakashi-like manner.

"When you saw me, I was fishing for fun. I like doing it on my spare time because it reminds me of Kaiza, my stepdad." he says sheepishly.

I take my turn burning bright red. I'd forgotten about Kaiza and how important he'd been in Inari's life. He was the main reason Inari had looked so sad the first time we ever met him.

"I'm sorry. I completely forgot--"

"Don't be!" Inari says. "It was a long time ago. Besides, Naruto turned things around for me." Inari says with a wistful smile. "So where is Naruto anyway?"

"Naruto is in Suna right now with his girlfriend, Hinata. They're visiting some mutual friends of ours."

"That old loudmouth has a girlfriend? Well good for him!" Inari laughs. "Then what about your other teammate, the dark haired one?"

I feel a sudden sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach.

"He left the team awhile back. He had some things to take care of with his family." Kakashi says in my place.

"Oh, well that's too bad that he left, but I hope everything worked out with his family." Inari says.

"Yes, it did." Kakashi says with a half-hearted happy eye crease. "So, Inari, how did you and Youkou meet?" Kakashi asks, quickly changing the subject much to my relief.

I only half listen to Inari's ardent account of how he ran into Youkou during one of his visits to Kita Island. The other half of me is too busy struggling with feelings of depression about Sasuke and feelings of warm appreciation for Kakashi. As always, Kakashi tries to protect me even from just talking about something personally painful.

I find Kakashi's hand under the table, give it a gentle squeeze, and give him a small smile in thanks. Kakashi squeezes my hand back and smiles back with a genuine happy eye crease this time. From that moment on, I decide to always let the Kakashi part of my heart win. Kakashi is to me what Naruto is for Inari: A source of hope and inspiration and therefore, a better way of living life. To look to a past that only brings sadness and pain is no way to live life in the present, but to look optimistically towards the future because of someone who makes you happy and want to be a better person in the present, now _that's_ the way to live life.

So Kakashi and I spend the rest of our first evening in Wave with our hands joined underneath the table, enjoying dinner with old friends and new, and smile knowing that this is only the first of many pleasant evenings we'll be spending together like this.

~*~*~*~

It's already late morning by the time Kakashi and I wake up, so we're pretty much starving for breakfast - no - lunch - no - _brunch_ by the time we actually get out of bed and leave our hotel room.

As we walk along the wooden boardwalk underneath the bright heat of the sun, we sense a different vibe in Minami, one that's energetic and laid back at the same time. It's the beach vibe where the desire to play, run, and swim coexists with the desire to sleep all day and be an absolute beach bum.

It's a great sight to see sailboats with pure white sails gliding slowly on top of the deep indigo blue ocean and to see hundreds upon hundreds of tourists each doing their own thing on the beach or in the water, but my growling stomach acts as a reminder of why we're really here.

"That place looks like it might be good." I say, pointing to a small, but neat building with white clapboard sides.

"Let's give it a try then." Kakashi says, putting his hand on my lower back and leading me in that direction.

The restaurant, called Hamaguri's, is so used to tourists coming in straight from the beach that they don't even give Kakashi and me a second glance even though we walk in dressed only in shorts, tank tops, and flip flops.

"Table for two?" the maître d' asks with a friendly smile.

"Yes, please."

"Follow me," she says, leading Kakashi and me towards the back of the restaurant and ushers us to a small table by a large glass window. The window is so large that it's more like a glass wall than a window, giving us a wide, panoramic view of the ocean. Like most of the other buildings here in Wave, the restaurant is raised up on stilts, but because it's low tide, it's not dark seawater we see underneath us, but a wide strip of sand that stretches out for several yards before converging with the crashing waves.

"Wow, this is beautiful." I say.

"It's the best seat in the house. You came at a good time, just before the rush," the maître d' informs us, handing Kakashi and me each a menu after we've taken our seats. "Your waiter will be Tebiki and he'll be with you shortly," she smiles amicably at us before taking her leave.

Kakashi and I smile back and say our thanks, then open up our menus and skim through it. I see the usual fare at an oceanside eatery: shrimps, lobsters, crabs...but then something completely different catches my eye.

"Oh look, they have fugu!" I say excitedly. "I've never had it before, but I've always wanted to try it!"

"You can't wait to eat a poisonous pufferfish?" Kakashi asks quizzically.

"Well, if it's prepared correctly it won't kill you. Besides, I am a poisons expert. I can't help but be a little curious about it."

"Fugu it is then." Kakashi says, closing his menu with finality.

"You're going to have it, too?" I ask, surprised.

"Like you said, you _are_ a poisons expert. If I'm ever going to have fugu in my life, it might as well be with you around!"

There are various ways of eating the poisonous fish from fried and served in hot sake called Fugu Hire-zake, to served in a vegetable stew called Fugu-chiri, but Kakashi and I decide to eat it in its most popular form: Fugu Sashimi. Here, the raw fish is sliced so thin that you can actually see the pattern of the plate underneath it. Meanwhile, the slices themselves are laid out in a spiral, floral pattern so that it's fun to pull each piece off the plate. (2)

I pick up one of the sliver-thin, slimy cool pieces of fish and take a cautious nibble. I feel a slight prickling on my tongue and on my lips before they go momentarily numb, but the sensation, a cross between eating really, REALLY hot chili peppers and novocaine from the dentist's office, only lasts barely a minute before everything goes back to normal.

"Well?" Kakashi asks, looking at me interestedly.

"I think it's absolutely fascinating! Can you imagine the weapons potential of this? If Shishou and I can figure out a way to maintain the poison's toxicity regardless of extraction time from the fish and expand the tetrodotoxin's use beyond normal ingestion, then we could put it on senbons, shurikens, and kunais and create S-class weapons unlike anything anyone has ever seen before! It'll paralyze our enemies while keeping them fully conscious until they eventually die from asphyxiation. Ibiki wouldn't even have to torture information out of them: The initial hit from the poisoned weapon alone would be enough! Of course, we'd have to figure out an antidote first because we can't have our own ninjas accidentally poking and killing themselves with the stuff. Right now the standard medical procedure is to simply try to support the respiratory and circulatory system until the poison wears off, which is better than nothing I suppose, but still..."

Kakashi has that bewildered "Why did I ask?" look in his eye.

I feel my face immediately heat up.

"Sorry." I mumble. "I didn't mean to get carried away."

"No, it's ok! I'm glad that you've found something to be passionate about! It's a huge improvement to what you _used to be_ interested in back when you were twelve. I just need to remember to never mess with you is all!" Kakashi laughs.

I smile warmly at him. Not everyone has much patience when you start to talk about work, but he's encouraging about it instead. Plus, we have a history together so he actually recognizes and appreciates how much I've grown.

"And what about you? What did you think about the fugu?" I ask curiously.

"Tingly," he says simply.

"Tingly?" I ask, dumbfounded.

"Yes, tingly." Kakashi repeats with a happy eye crease.

I look back at him with my mouth half open. Leave it to Hatake Kakashi, the man of few words, to sum up the rare experience of eating fugu with "tingly."

~*~*~*~

Our waiter takes a liking to us and kindly recommends a secluded beach that only the locals know about. When Kakashi and I arrive, there are only a dozen or so people as opposed to the hundreds of people we saw at the more well known tourist beaches.

Kakashi steps out onto the beach wearing his usual tight black tank top with attached mask, but instead of his usual jounin pants, he's wearing dark blue swim trunks with a lighter blue tropical floral pattern on it. It's a small, but successful step in progressively getting him out his jounin uniform.

I'm set to just lay my beach towel down anywhere on the sand, but Kakashi keeps walking instead.

"Kakashi, where are you going?!" I shout over the noise of the crashing waves.

"Trust me!" he shouts over his shoulder as he continues to walk parallel to the water and _away_ from what other few beachgoers there are.

After following him over a large pile of boulder-sized rocks, a peaceful, empty cove reveals itself to us on the other side.

"How did you know that this was here?" I ask, bewildered.

"I didn't. It was just a hunch." Kakashi says off handedly.

"Pretty good hunch!"

"My mom and dad used to take me to the beach all the time when I was little. I've seen beaches like this before and figured it had to have a cove like the other ones." Kakashi says, shrugging his shoulders. "What?" Kakashi asks after noticing the change in my facial expression.

"It's just that you don't really talk much about your childhood and I'm glad that you're starting to." I say, smiling at him.

Kakashi makes a "Huh" sound, as in "Huh, how 'bout that?" as I walk past him to find a nice, flat area to lay down.

"Did I mention that Pakkun was a gift from my dad on my 5th birthday?"

"He was?"

"Yup. He was just a pup back then and Pakkun's sire was my own dad's summon. In fact, summons for the ninkin go way, _way_ back in the Hatake clan."

"Wow, I didn't know that. That's really interesting." I say, then stop abruptly in my tracks, thinking I've found the perfect spot to settle down only to discover that the lapping waves like that spot, too, so I keep looking while Kakashi follows close behind me.

"Oh, and when I was 13 I snuck a peek at one of my sensei's books and I've been addicted to _Icha, Icha_ ever since." Kakashi says with a happy eye crease.

I stop in my tracks again, but not because I think I've found another place to lay down, but to look back at Kakashi in disbelief.

"Are you saying that at 13 you snuck a peek at your sensei's _porn_ and that you've been proudly addicted to it ever since?"

A drop of sweat rolls down Kakashi's temple and he scratches the back of his neck nervously.

"I should've stopped with the cute Pakkun story, huh?"

"It might've been a good idea." I admit.

"Thought so." Kakashi says.

"Ah-ha!" I say in triumph when I finally spot the perfect place to lay down. I drop my backpack down onto the sand, neatly spread my beach towel out, and start to undress, pulling my white tank top over my head and my jean shorts down my legs until I'm only wearing my pale pink bikini. I sense Kakashi watching me from the corner of his eye even as he lays down his own beach towel, but I ignore him, sit down, and rummage around my backpack until I find the bottle of sunblock. I squeeze the cool, thick white lotion onto my hand and start to smooth it all over my body, starting with the areas that tend to get burnt the worst: my shoulders, arms, face, and chest. Soon, almost every inch of me is slathered in sunblock except for the one part of my body that I can't reach.

"Do you mind?" I ask Kakashi, handing him the bottle and gathering my hair up in my hands so that he can put sunblock on my back.

Kakashi takes the bottle from me and I feel him slather copious amounts of sunblock all over my back. It's a pleasant sensation: the feel of refreshingly cool lotion in contrast to the warm, even pressure of Kakashi's hands. It feels like a massage that I could easily fall asleep to, but then I feel a different sensation on the curve of my neck, one that's soft and light and slightly tickling.

"Kakashi, what are you doing?" I ask, but keep my eyes closed and tilt my head to the side to give him easier access.

"What do you think?" he asks, continuing to lightly graze his bare lips down the nape of my neck and along the curve of my shoulder.

"Aren't you afraid someone will see you with your mask down?"

"I think I'm pretty safe here," he murmurs close to my ear. Then, I feel the warmth of his breath as his nose hovers mere centimeters above my skin. "You smell like the beach," he says with a hint of a smile in his voice.

"That'd be the sunblock." I grin and turn halfway around in my seat to face him.

He smiles back at me with a lopsided smile, cups my face in his hand, gently rubs his thumb against my cheek, and slowly lowers his lips down onto mine.

Kakashi's kiss tends to hold the same pattern: Light and sweet at first, then progressively deeper and more exploring, but even though I'm well versed with his kisses by now, they still always manage to take my breath away.

I feel him starting to lower me down on my back when I hear happy barking in the background and then feel something with white and brown fur suddenly licking my face and Kakashi's.

"I'm so, so sorry about that!" the dog's owner says breathlessly, running up from the other side of the beach _without_ the rock barrier and pulls his beloved pet away from us. "She got away from me and I've been chasing her for almost half a mile! I hope Bella didn't interrupt anything!"

I turn to look at Kakashi and see that he's already pulled his mask back up on his face, but there's no denying the disappointment in his eye.

I bite my kiss-swollen bottom lip, feeling disappointed myself. I feel my temper rising up inside of me, getting ready to explode, but it's obvious from the concerned look on the man's face and the way Bella keeps bouncing around and play biting her owner that neither of them meant any harm. So I rub Bella behind the ears, smile up at the man and say "She's a beautiful dog!" instead.

"Thanks!" the man says, obviously relieved that my reaction wasn't anything worse.

"What kind of dog is she?" I ask.

"She's a Shiba Inu," the man says happily. (3)

A couple of minutes later, Kakashi and I wave a friendly goodbye to Bella and her owner, but the mood has been killed and we're paranoid about other people walking in on us, so Kakashi and I just lay down on our respective beach towels and sunbathe instead, but during my conversation with Bella's owner I had noticed that Kakashi had decisively laid down on his stomach, and even now he still refuses to flip over and lay down on his back. Poor guy. I'll just have to make it up to him later...

~*~*~*~

Kakashi and I return to the beach cove the next day and I use my chakra strength to move some of the boulders on our right side to our left side as well, creating a four-sided barrier completed by the steep cliff wall behind us and the ocean waves in front.

"There! That should do it!" I say with a smile, dusting off my hands. "Now where were we?"

"I do believe we were _here_--" Kakashi says, cupping my cheek in his hand and slowly lowering me down onto my back as he kisses me. No longer afraid of someone walking in on us, Kakashi moves his kisses from my lips to my cheek, from my cheek to the spot just below my earlobe, and from there down to the side of my neck...always moving downward.

His hand wanders down to one of my breasts and he cups and squeezes it. Then, he pushes one cup of my bikini aside and gently flicks the tip of his tongue against my hardened nipple over and over again before wrapping his lips around my areola and sucking on my breast. He pushes the other bikini cup aside and does the same things to the other nipple. I can feel my heart pounding hard in my chest and it feels like twice the adrenaline is coursing through my veins. What Kakashi's doing normally gets that kind of reaction from me anyway, but there's something even more thrilling about the risk of getting caught. We may be in a sheltered and secluded area, but there's still the chance that someone might climb over our rock barriers, or swim in from the ocean, or look down on us from high up on the cliff.

Kakashi only pushes the fabric of my bikini aside, but he doesn't completely remove it because there are two very important rules in having sex in a public place. The first and foremost is: Don't get caught. The second is: Don't take all your clothes off just in case you have to runaway at a moment's notice. It's also for this reason that Kakashi won't take his black tank top with attached mask off, because heaven forbid anyone else see him without his mask on!

After thoroughly lavishing his tongue on my breasts until they're literally spit shined, Kakashi starts to sprinkle kisses down my sternum and down the flat of my stomach which, as always, tickles me and makes me laugh, but thankfully he moves beyond the ticklish parts of my tummy and starts to work his way even further down...When frigid ice cold water laps up underneath us, shocking us and making us immediately pull apart. Not a second later, another wave laps up higher than the first, forcing us to jump up on our feet altogether. Then another wave and another come higher and higher up onto the shore. It's apparently high tide, so Kakashi and I reluctantly grab our things and move out.

That evening, we make sure to ask around town and figure out _exactly_ what the tide schedule is. No two tourists in Minami Island's history were more adamant about finding out that information than Kakashi and I were.

~*~*~*~

The next day, Kakashi and I come back to our cove when we _know_ it's low tide and _know_ it won't be high tide again for several hours.

I lay my beach towel back down on the sand and myself down on top of it and Kakashi and I start to kiss and grope again until we're exactly back to where we left off...With him hovering right above the pale pink fabric of my bikini bottom getting ready to--

"Oh, yeah..." I moan as Kakashi tugs my panties aside and slowly licks my slit from bottom to top. His touch is so light and so gentle as to barely be there, but at the moment I'm so hypersensitive that even the lightest of touches is enough to make me moan. He repeats the action once, twice, three more times before wrapping his lips around my clit and alternates between quickly flicking his tongue against it and lapping against the tight bundle of nerves the way a cat laps up a bowl of milk. It feels so good that my legs involuntarily tremble and shake. Then, Kakashi slides two fingers in, sliding them slowly in and out of my hole. When he sees me panting for more, he slides a third finger in and continues to pump his fingers in and out while still eating me up. I feel a warm, tingling sensation course down my legs all the way down to my toes and I have to squeeze my eyes tightly shut because of the intensity of it all. Normally, I'd grab the sheets underneath me, but there are no sheets to grab, so I grab fistfuls of sand instead. Even my toes are curling into the sand.

And then, Kakashi suddenly stops.

"Why'd you stop?!" I ask, raising myself up on elbows and looking at him irritably.

"I'm sorry! It's just that I thought I felt...Nothing. Never mind." he says, shaking his head and letting his tongue get back to doing its glorious work.

I slowly lay back down on the beach towel, close my eyes, and get lost again in the intense, pleasurable sensations he's giving me.

And then...I feel it, too.

A heavy _plop_ hits me right in the middle of the forehead, making me shoot my eyes wide open in surprise. I look around me and watch, still in a state of shock, as another large water droplet falls to the ground and turns a splotch of sand next to me a darker shade of brown. Soon more and more dark splotches join the first one, each of them appearing at a progressively growing speed. Then, there's a bright flash of lightning far across the horizon where ocean meets sky, a loud rumbling in the heavens, and cold rain starts to pour down on us so quick and so hard that Kakashi and I grab our beach towels, raise them up over our heads, and run for it.

"You've got to be kidding me!" I yell at the heavens.

In response, a bolt of lightning streaks across the dark charcoal sky and rains buckets of rain over Kakashi and me.

~*~*~*~

On the last day of our Golden Week in Wave, Kakashi and I go back to our beach cove one last time. Kakashi is ready to declare defeat, but I tell him "No! No rain, no sleet, no snow will keep us away from doing it on the beach because I'm too determined now!"

"Isn't that the post office adage?" Kakashi asks.

I glare at him.

"Alright! I guess we're doing it on the beach!" Kakashi says, holding his hands up in front of him in a "Don't kill me!" fashion.

Kakashi and I easily jump up and over the rock barrier I had created a few days ago, time our arrival so that it's low tide, and bring an umbrella with us just in case. I diplomatically lay my beach towel down on the sand, lay myself down on top of it, and look up at Kakashi expectantly.

"Well? What are you waiting for?" I ask.

Kakashi hops to it, quickly positions himself between my legs and starts to kiss me, but at this point I've lost all patience.

"No more foreplay! Just do me!" I say impatiently, tugging at his waistband and pulling down his swim trunks just low enough to let his erection spring free. Then, I push aside the crotch of my bikini bottom and guide him to my entrance. In less than a minute, he's finally, FINALLY inside of me and it feels _so good._

We both let out a sigh of relief, him enjoying my heat and my tightness and me enjoying the sensation of being completely filled, but I don't let him stay static for too long. With our luck a dog, or a wave, or a freakin' bolt of lightning will interrupt us before we've even had the chance to come and I'm not having any of it!

"For the love of God, Kakashi, MOVE!" I say irritably.

I don't have to tell him twice. He moves in long, slow, gentle strokes at first, giving us both time to adjust and simply enjoy each other's body, but it isn't long before we're both aching for more: more movement, more speed, more friction, simply _more_. His thrusts become quicker and more erratic and soon he's pumping into me so vigorously that with each hard thrust, he's progressively moving me up and off the beach towel and literally plowing me into the ground, the sand beneath us giving way to create a deepening and elongating trench. I clutch hard onto his back and wrap my legs tighter and higher up on his torso, making him slide deeper in, and all the while he continues to ruthlessly pound into me. I feel the coil deep inside of me tightening up, getting ready to spring, and I regulate my breathing to accommodate what I know is coming next.

I scream loudly as my body releases in one moment all the sexual tension that had been building up over the course of a week. My inner muscles ripple around Kakashi in cataclysmic waves, but he drives into me still, not stopping until he, too, has spilled all his pent up sexual tension inside my womb. He pushes hard into me one last time, then collapses exhausted on top of me. I normally don't like being under the weight of another person, but after sex it actually feels good - fitting even - to be as close as you can possibly be to the person you just made love to and to feel his heart racing against your own.

Kakashi waits until our heart rates and breathing have slowed to an almost normal pace before slowly pulling out. He pulls his swim trunks back up and I readjust my bikini bottom and then we access the damage. For one, Kakashi had successfully pushed me off the beach towel up to my shoulder blades so that sand is hopelessly entangled in my pink hair. Second, he managed to push the towel's bottom edge up into a crumpled mess beneath me. And third, we now have a sizable butt trench, but most significant of all (Sand in weird and awkward places aside) we FINALLY got to do it on the beach and we are totally, completely, and utterly satiated.

~*~*~*~

When I get back to work the next day, Shishou politely asks how my Golden Week was. I smile brightly at her and say, in all honesty, "It was good. It was relaxing."

"That's good. You deserve it." Shishou smiles back at me, then promptly gets back to work on the piles of paperwork which had piled up during the week.

Once my back is turned away from her and I know she's too preoccupied to ask even if she hears me, I smirk and add under my breath "It was tingly."

To be continued...

~*~*~*~

Remove all spaces for links:

- Golden Week in Japan:

en . wikipedia . org/wiki/Golden_Week_(Japan)

(1) See an image of the real Naruto Bridge in Naruto, Tokushima, Japan:

commons . wikimedia . org/wiki/File:Big_Naruto_ Bridge05n3872 . jpg

- It all fits into place now...

tailedfox . com/news-what-does-word-naruto-mean%3F

(2) See what fugu sashimi looks like:

en . wikipedia . org/wiki/File:Fugu_sashimi . jpg

- Fugu (pufferfish):

en . wikipedia . org/wiki/Fugu

- Other types of Japanese seafood (Beware the squeamish!):

en . wikipedia . org/wiki/Category:Japanese_ seafood

(3) See an image of Bella, a Shiba Inu, a type of Japanese dog:

patboydworld . com/Fun/CrissyDogAlbum1/images/aShibaInu-M-Taka . jpg

- Other types of Japanese dogs:

japanesedogs . bulldoginformation . com/

**UPDATE: THIS is the image I had in my head for the necking scene! It's by Chii-Kawaii-Chan and it's called "If You See Sakura." ^_^**

chii-kawaii-chan . deviantart . com/art/If-You-See-Sakura-118464233


	53. 1st Time KakaSaku Celebrate Tanabata

I have not abandoned this story. I'm just writing a chapter for each Japanese holiday and June doesn't have one and May coincides with Golden Week in April...And I've also been suffering from writer's block ^^; but even if chapters are delayed, I will finish this story because I don't like unfinished stories either. In the meantime, thanks to everyone who's been supportive. That helps me keep going!

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**Chapter 53-The First Time KakaSaku Celebrate Tanabata**

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To our right, they're pink, red, blue, and green. To our left they're yellow, purple, and orange. Every which way Kakashi and I look, the streets of Konoha look like several snake nut cans threw up on them, but what we're actually seeing are hundreds of thousands of streamers and they're the first sign that it's Tanabata. (1)

On every 7th day of the 7th month of the year, Japan and ninja countries like Fire celebrate Tanabata or "Evening of the Seventh." It's also called the Star Festival because of the story the celebration is based upon...

Once upon a time, a long time ago, two stars drifting in the vast night sky met by the Milky Way River and instantly fell in love. One of these stars, the Vega star, was a princess named Orihime, daughter to Tentei, the Sky King. Now although Tentei was happy that his daughter had finally fallen in love for she had been quite lonely and sad before she had met Hikoboshi, the Altair star, Tentei was angered when the two lovers started to neglect their work once they were married with Orihime no longer weaving her beautiful clothes and Hikoboshi letting his cows to stray. As punishment, Tentei separated the two lovers across the Milky Way River and forbade them to meet. Orihime became depressed and asked her father to let her see Hikoboshi again. Moved by his daughter's tears, Tentei agreed and allowed the two lovers to meet every 7th day of the 7th month of every year if Orihime worked hard and finished her weaving. However, the first time Orihime and Hikoboshi tried to meet, they found that they couldn't cross the river because there was no bridge. Orihime cried so much that a flock of magpies promised to make her a bridge with their wings so that she could cross the river, but if it rains, the magpies are not able to come and the two lovers must wait another year to try and meet again. (2)

Like most little girls, I instantly fell in love with the literally star-crossed lovers and imagined myself to be Orihime, dreaming that someday I'd meet my own Hikoboshi, but hopefully be spared the part about being torn apart from him.

And then, Sasuke came along.

For awhile it seemed like my dream was finally coming true. Not only had I found my Hikoboshi, but I was teamed up with him, too! It didn't matter that he wasn't head over heels in love with me the same way I was with him. That would all come in time. I just had to put all my time and effort into getting him to notice me and he would eventually come around, then we'd live happily ever after just like in the fairy tales.

But...he left, and the part of the Tanabata story that I _didn't_ want to come true, did. So for all those nights that I looked up at the starry night sky, I was imagining once again that I was Orihime and Sasuke was Hikoboshi and that someday, if I was just patient enough like Orihime, then surely we'd meet again.

But how was I supposed to know that while I waited patiently for his return that someone else had been watching, waiting, and longing for me in the same way? That this someone would actually turn out to be better for me and _be_ a better Hikoboshi than the first person I perceived to be "The One"? How was I supposed to know these things when fairy tales rarely, if ever, tell that version of the story even if it is more true to life?

Love isn't always at first sight and even when it is, you don't always end up with the person you imagined. Sometimes (often) life surprises you. It's not necessarily a bad thing, it's just...different. I guess it's true, that sometimes life doesn't always give you what you want, but what you need (3) and what I needed was someone who was warm and caring, not cold and distant. Someone who would protect and comfort me, not abandon and ignore me. I had tried so hard to make Sasuke fit the fantasy inside my head that I had turned him into someone he wasn't. And the thing is, I put myself through all that trouble and heartache when everything I could ever possibly want and need already existed in Kakashi, but I purposely overlooked him because he wasn't what I was _supposed_ to want. The difference in our ages was too great and he even used to be my teacher, so I automatically dismissed him in spite knowing that all the qualities he possessed were exactly what I was looking for. Love makes you blind, but so does narrow-mindedness. Fortunately, Kakashi took that first daring step to show me what I was missing. Now I can't imagine my life without all those times he had made me laugh and made me feel loved. I would've missed out on so much...

I suppose that's what makes Orihime and Hiroboshi's story so bittersweet: That all the love and joy that exists between them can only be shared in a fleeting moment in time, that they _are_ denied time spent together and _are_ missing out on so much. And if Kakashi and I had been gullible enough to listen to what other people thought about us instead of listening to how we felt about each other, then that would've been our fate, too, because in a way Kakashi and I are also star-crossed lovers, condemned for the relationship we share.

As we stroll down the streets of Konoha joined by hundreds of other villagers milling around, however, hardly anyone gives us a second glance or disapproving glare anymore. That's the admirable thing about people: That they do learn how to adjust, adapt, and become tolerant. It may not be true of everyone and it may not happen overnight - just look at how long it took people to accept the jinchuurikis Naruto and Gaara - but it does eventually happen. In the same way, people are now slowly getting used to Kakashi's and my relationship as odd as a couple as we may be. Some people learned to accept us, or at least become indifferent to us, once they figured out that we weren't just trying to take advantage of one another. Others had a change of heart after seeing for themselves that we genuinely love each other and make each other happy. The engagement ring on my finger doesn't hurt either to further show how serious we are about our relationship.

Still, there will always be those who staunchly refuse to be swayed. For them, anything and anyone that sets foot outside of their preconceived notions of "normal" is wrong and as such, our relationship is wrong and so are we for even giving it a try. Such is prejudice and bigotry. The sad thing is, there's nothing we can really do to prevent it because people are fallible and will always have a mind and an opinion of their own. And while it's good to think for yourself and stand by your own beliefs, it isn't good when you show intolerance for _other_ people's opinions, beliefs, and lifestyles. We only have to look at our world's history to see what intolerance, _any_ kind of intolerance, can do. It is without a doubt, sad, and God help us all when only people like that try to rule the world.

But, there's hope because each generation does surpass the last and can therefore surpass their predecessors in being more tolerant of others. It's when all humanity doesn't even bother to _try_ to be more open to different people and alternative ways of living anymore that we have to be afraid. We may never be able to achieve a perfect world, but sometimes all you really need are the small wins that add up to a much greater gain. For Kakashi and me, just being able to walk down the street together in public and not be scorned for it is one of those wins and it's also one of the reasons why we can't help the smile on our face.

The other reason we're smiling is right in front of our eyes. Kakashi and I stop in our tracks as a cute little boy and a girl who look like they're brother and sister run in front of us to get to one of the many little wading pools lined along Konoha's streets. They laugh and giggle as they try to scoop up the live fish languidly gliding through the water. At another nearby pool, other children are trying to scoop up small colorful plastic toys. These are one of the games at the Tanabata Festival and for the most part, fish are the first and only pets most Japanese children have growing up. Fortunately, here in Konoha that isn't the case seeing how animals are not only pets, but also summons and much needed sidekicks, like Kakashi's Pakkun and Kiba's Akamaru.

Another thing that adds to the children's cuteness are the kimonos and yukatas, or lightweight summer kimonos, that they're wearing. They look like little living dolls! Not a lot of the adults are dressed up in the traditional wear, however, because it's too hot. So while we adults are comfortably dressed in our regular summer clothes, we let the children sweat it out because at least they make strangers go "Aww..." the way Kakashi and I are doing right now. And maybe someday, when the time is right, Kakashi and I will have our own children and put them through the same sadistic torture. (4)

Half the fun of the festival seems to be to eat as much food as you can, so there's also stall upon stall of food. Typical of a hot summer day, the most popular foods seem to be ice cream and hot dogs or in this case, kakigori, Japan's version of a snow cone and "franks," or different kinds of sausages varying from convenience store hot dogs to weenies on a stick. I immediately go for the kakigori, but am disappointed by the absence of the sweet beans and condensed milk they usually come with. I suppose they're being cheap at the festival and that's why there aren't any here, so I essentially have a regular Westernized snow cone flavored with different kinds of syrups. I try the strawberry and cherry with a dash of Blue Hawaii, or sweet plum. As for the franks, they differ from Westernized hot dogs in that they have an odd taste to them and aren't as soft either, but being used to the taste and texture by now, Kakashi and I each have one as well. (5)

As if the streets aren't bombarded with enough color already from the huge streamers hanging above our heads (which are meant to symbolize Orihime's weaving threads since she is the Weaver Princess), there are also several bamboo trees decorated with long strips of colored paper called tanzaku. Wishes and love poems are written on them by the many passersby to commemorate the wish Orihime made to see Hikoboshi again. (6)

Kakashi and I each take a tanzaku and write down our own personal wish. Mine is pink and his is olive green and they both gently flutter on the bamboo branch we had tied them to. The difference in color of our tanzakus aside, the wishes we wrote on them are practically identical, undeniably influenced by the tragic love story this very holiday is based upon. Whereas other people had wished to find someone to love or to have someone fall in love with them, our mutual wish was to have nothing and no one tear us apart or destroy the love that already exists between us. If we had learned anything from Orihime and Hikoboshi, it's that there's no greater tragedy to befall two lovers than that.

As night falls, the entire village is bathed in a soft golden glow as lit lanterns float down Konoha's many waterways. It's Tanabata tradition to set the bamboo and decorations afloat and burn them after the festival around midnight or on the next day. The flames are meant to represent the stars in the sky while the water represents the Heavenly River. (7)

Kakashi and I decide to watch the spectacle from our favorite red bridge, the one we always met at when Team 7 was still whole. With Kakashi's arm wrapped around my shoulders and my arm wrapped around his waist, we watch in an almost hypnotized trance as the lit lanterns appear from the darkness beneath the bridge, flames reflecting warmly on the cool surface of the stream, and float away towards the forest where they'll eventually sink below the water's surface never to be seen again. It's both romantic and sad because it indicates that Tanabata has officially come to an end, but unlike poor Orihime and Hikoboshi, Kakashi and I don't have to part ways. _Our_ meetings aren't restricted to only every 7th day of the 7th month of every year. _We_ get to stay together and love each other every day of every month of every year now until the rest of our lives, and _we_ won't be missing out on a single Goddamn thing. And if you ask me, I'd say that hands down, Kakashi and I got the better deal.

To be continued...

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Remove spaces for links:

(1) Pictures of snake nut cans that threw up:

newsimg. bbc. co. uk/media/images/44805000/jpg/_44805054_starfestival_ap466. jpg

farm1. static. flickr. com/94/210523669_db0ed7c467. jpg?v=0

(2) en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Tanabata

gojapan. about. com/cs/japanesefestivals/a/tanabata. htm

- Picture of the Vega and Altair stars and the Milky Way:

areavoices. com/astrobob/images/thumbnail/Scutum1. JPG

(3) Rolling Stones "You Can't Always Get What You Want"

(4) myso-calledjapaneselife. blogspot. com/2007/08/asagaya-tanabata-festival-part-2. html

(5) myso-calledjapaneselife. blogspot. com/2007/08/asagaya-tanabata-festival-part-4. html

(6) Picture of tanzakus:

discovernikkei. org/dj/nikkeialbum/files/filemanager/public/active/31/Tanzaku_full. jpg

(7) 2camels. com/tanabata-festival. php 


	54. 1st Time KakaSaku Celebrate Obon

If I didn't know about all these Japanese holidays, I wouldn't have known why there wasn't a new manga chapter up this week. Good to know all this research is good for something! :P

**Spoiler:** This refers a lot to the Pein arc in the manga. If you're not caught up, I'm mostly referring to this: (Just remove the space) onemanga. com/Naruto/449/09/

**Update:** The very sweet **Kamaruu** has created another KakaSaku fanart based on this story which can be found here (Again, just remove the spaces):

kamaruu. deviantart. com/art/KakaSaku-Death-133501284

Thanks again, Kamaruu! I love it! ^_^

**Update #2 Sept. 6, 2009:** Thank you **Slinkymilinky** for taking the time to do my KakaSaku fanart request for this chapter! I was seriously having problems drawing it myself and what you drew turned out lovely! I love it! ^_^ So please, everyone, check it out here (Just remember to remove the spaces):

slinkymilinky. deviantart. com/art/What-the-New-Year-Brings-136013890

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**Chapter 54-The First Time KakaSaku Celebrate Obon**

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Kakashi gracefully sways his arms first to the left, then to the right, daintily flicks each of his wrists, and does a little clap all while doing a two step. Not too far away I see Ibiki, bald head, scars and all, do the same things.

"Did you just _snort?_" Ino asks irately.

Looking around me I see that other people are also giving me irritated or, like Kakashi, confused looks.

"Sorry." I say soberly and submissively sway my own arms first to the left, then to the right, daintily flick each of my wrists, and do a little clap all while doing a two step.

Everyone seems appeased and turns back around to concentrate on their own moves, but then somebody else snorts, Naruto this time. I can see him snickering four people down to my right. Now everybody turns around to glare at him instead.

"I didn't know you were so graceful, Chouji!" Naruto teases loudly while flashing that toothy fox grin of his.

"Why you little..."

Well, at least Naruto seems to get it.

We must all look so strange from high up in the sky, moving en masse and in strange synchrony like a swarm of well trained ants at the base of the Hokage Monument. At first you might think we're just training. We are a ninja village, after all, but that wouldn't explain why civilians are also doing punches and blocks. And it wouldn't explain why shinobis, even the most intimidating ones like Ibiki and Kakashi, are moving with such uncharacteristic daintiness. To make our actions stranger, more and more people keep joining us as we make our way through the streets until we reach a grass clearing on the outskirts of the village. There, we circle around a high wooden scaffold called a _yagura_ where musicians and singers are playing...The Pokémon Song? First we dance clockwise around the scaffold, then towards it, then away, then counter-clockwise around it instead. It may seem like we've all gone a bit mad, but we really haven't. It's just that today is August 15, it's the Japanese Buddhist holiday of Obon (pronounced "oh-bone"), and we're all just doing the traditional dance of joy for this particular holiday called Bon Odori.

Similar to Mexico's Dia de los Muertos, Obon is a day in which the spirits of the dead are believed to commune with the living. As such, families have big get togethers not only to pay respect to their loved ones who passed away and care for their graves, but to hopefully reunite with them as well, making it a true family reunion. The Obon Festival lasts for 3 days and the holiday itself has been celebrated in Japan for more than 500 years. The start date of the festival varies within different regions of Japan, but the 15th of August is the most common. These 3 days are not listed as public holidays, but it's customary for people to be given leave.

It's for this reason that while on any other day Kakashi would be left to stand in peace in front of the memorial stone the way he likes to every morning, today is different. Immediately after the Bon dance, everyone migrates from the grass clearing to the adjacent cemetery to both wash the gravestones of and pay respect to one loved one or another.

Kurenai and Team 10 are circled around Asuma's gravestone gently washing his engraved name with water soaked cloths. Naruto, with Hinata close at his side, does the same for his dad's and Jiraiya's names. Meanwhile, I can't go all the way to Sand just to wash Chiyo's gravestone, but Gaara and his siblings have reassured me by messenger bird that they will do it for me. So I stand by Kakashi's side and watch him instead as he lovingly washes Obito's and Rin's names and washes Yondaime's name for a second time after Naruto the way he had on our first date on New Year's Day.

In our line of work we are constantly faced with death. Our life is a life of extremes. While other people lose their loved ones through old age and disease, we lose ours at the hands of enemies or through self sacrifice, but although our profession toughens us, it doesn't make us heartless. If anything, our profession makes us mourn the loss of our loved ones harder than the rest, that's why Obon is an especially meaningful holiday for us shinobi. Another way it differs for us is that we've come to include our extended family in our respects rather than exclusively for our ancestors. Obito, Rin, and Yondaime may not have actually been Kakashi's relatives and Chiyo may not have been mine, but our bond to these people are as strong as blood. As ninja, it's not unusual to come to know someone at the spur of the moment during a mission and yet share a friendship with them that's worth a lifetime. Lastly, although we may not come to the cemetery everyday like Kakashi, it doesn't mean that we love the ones we lost any less. It's just that we don't blame ourselves for their deaths the way he does, but that's the thing about Obon: It isn't so much a day for sadness and loss as it is a day for celebration.

Case in point, as I tune into Kurenai and Team 10's soft murmurings, I realize that the things they're telling Asuma aren't sad. Instead, Ino, Shikamaru, and Chouji are sharing stories about their latest successful mission while Kurenai tells her late husband about how much their child has grown while said child, now 8 years old, sits nearby and stares quietly up at the clouds passing by overhead. It makes me think that perhaps Shikamaru has gone overboard with his promise to his former sensei and is influencing the child a bit too much...

Meanwhile, although this is one of the rare times that I've actually seen Naruto solemn, I can't help but crack a smile when I hear him murmur to his dad (still oh-so solemnly) what a kickass girlfriend Hinata is, much to Hinata's embarrassment.

And Kakashi isn't here to share sad news with his old teammates either. Instead, he's been telling them about our engagement and all the plans that we've made.

Perhaps in telling the dead that we miss them dearly, but that we're managing without them and our lives are good, we reassure them that their deaths were not in vain and to not worry about us. In turn, it comforts us the living and makes us feel close to our loved ones even though they may be gone. It's peace of mind for both the living and the dead. Perhaps it's for this reason that Kakashi visits the memorial stone not only on Obon, but everyday. Maybe Kakashi isn't punishing himself: He's actually making himself feel better since there's comfort and strength to be found in trying to be stronger for somebody else. Maybe he's trying to be stronger for Obito and his old team. After all, the origin of Obon comes from trying to ease the suffering of the dead:

Mokuren was a disciple of Buddha. One day he used his supernatural powers to look upon his dead mother. He discovered that she had fallen into the Realm of Hungry Ghosts and was suffering. Greatly disturbed by this, Mokuren went to Buddha and asked how he could release his mother from this realm. Buddha instructed him to make offerings to the many Buddhist monks who had just completed their summer retreat on the 15th day of the 7th month. Mokuren did so and thus, saw his mother's release. He also began to see the true nature of her past unselfishness and the many sacrifices she had made for him. Happy because of his mother's release and grateful for his mother's kindness, Mokuren danced with joy. From this dance of joy comes Bon Odori, or the Bon dance. Perhaps the simplest way to describe Bon Odori is line dancing Japanese style with all the dancers performing the same dance sequence in unison.

And here's where everything falls into place...

Because each village or city tries to integrate its own history and specialty into the Bon dance, it looks and sounds different from region to region. At old Miike Mine in Kyūshū, Japan, for example, their version of the dance, Tankō Bushi (the "coal mining song"), shows the movements of miners like digging, cart pushing, and lantern hanging. While in Konoha, the Village Hidden in the Leaves, our version involves the swaying of the arms to mimic the way the wind moves through the trees and basic taijutsu moves to reflect our ninja heritage which explains why Kakashi, Ibiki, and Chouji were - contrary to their nature - dancing so daintily, and why civilians - who aren't trained fighters - were doing punches and blocks. Meanwhile, music played during the Bon dance is not limited to Obon music. Some modern hits and children's tunes written to the beat of the "ondo," or Japanese folk music, are also used. Hence, our dancing along to the Pokémon Ondo. (1) There are other ways the Bon dance can vary from region to region. Some dances involve the use of props, like fans, towels, or small wooden clappers called "kachi-kachi."

As Japanese summer festivities go, it's tradition to wear a yukata, or summer kimono which is made of lightweight cotton instead of heavy lined silk, but wearing a yukata is still hotter than wearing modern summer clothes like shorts and a tank top. Unlike the previous summer holiday of Tanabata, however, I decide to bear and grin it and wear the traditional dress because if people are going to watch me dance the Bon Odori, I want to at least look good while I'm at it! Apparently, I'm not the only one in the same mind set since everyone else, including Kakashi, also dons the traditional robe. It's but one more successful step in getting him out of his jounin uniform (Inner Sakura pumps her fist and shouts "Shannaro!"). However, Kakashi's yukata still looks like a mere translation of his jounin uniform, the robe being olive green with a navy blue sash (Inner Sakura shrugs her shoulders and says, "Eh. He still looks smexy."). My yukata on the other hand, is a direct translation of my namesake with pale pink cherry blossoms on an otherwise plain white robe with a dark pink sash.

Respects paid and dances of joy completed, everyone disperses to the various carnival rides, games, and food booths spread throughout the village. It's to be expected. It doesn't matter where you are in the world: Holidays, as solemn as the basis of their creation may be, almost always turn into an excuse to simply kick back, relax, and have fun. A holiday wouldn't be a holiday otherwise. Besides, Obon, like Mexico's Dia de los Muertos, is _meant_ to be a celebration because although we may all innately fear and dread death, it also serves as a constant reminder of how short and precious life is, so for heaven's sake enjoy life and live it to its fullest!

As darkness falls, people slowly head back home with stomachs full and feet sore after a day full of eating, walking, and having way too much fun, but the day isn't over yet for August 15 is also the day that we practice Tsukimi, or moon viewing. It ties in well with Obon because everyone is out and about anyway for the festival and there's just something naturally ethereal and haunting about the moon and its eery white glow.

Back at the apartment, Kakashi offers me his hand to help me climb out of our bedroom window for what better place is there to view the moon than out on your very own rooftop? The minute we step out onto the ledge, a cool breeze greets us, affirming that it's cooler outside than inside the summer-heated apartment. Using a little bit of chakra on our feet, we both easily maneuver our way across the otherwise steep and dangerous rooftop and find a spot wide enough for both of us to sit on. From our perch high above, we have a clear view of the vast, cloudless night sky and the moon that's a half crescent tonight. (2) We can also see the thousands of lit lanterns floating in serpentine patterns down Konoha's many waterways as they had on Tanabata. The practice is called _Toro Nagashi_ and its purpose is to lead the spirits back to the Other World. It's for this reason that Obon is also called the Lantern Festival. (3)

Whether it's because I'm tired from such a full day, or because it's just more comfortable, or because I simply enjoy any excuse to be as close to my fiancé as possible, I let my head fall softly against Kakashi's shoulder and let it stay there. Kakashi neither moves nor complains. I wouldn't be surprised to see a happy eye crease if I bothered to lift my head up and look.

"You want to just go to bed?" he asks gently.

"No, I want to see the fireworks." I say with an unintended yawn.

He says nothing and again, without looking, I can just see the look on his face which I imagine to be both skeptical and worried this time. After knowing someone for 11 years, you really do start to read him like a book.

"I'm fine, Kakashi." I reassure him. "Just keep talking to me to keep me awake until the fireworks start."

"Okay...What do you want me to talk about?"

"I don't know. Anything. Just keep talking." I say sleepily.

"Okay," he says offhandedly and I feel his shoulders shrug beneath my head. "I think that maybe you should give reading _Icha, Icha_ a try."

"_WHAT?!_" I shout, pulling my head quickly away from his shoulder to stare back at him in surprise.

"Well look who's awake now." Kakashi says, a mischievous sparkle in his eye.

"You're not serious, right? You just said that to shock me awake."

"No, I'm quite serious." Kakashi says calmly. "We're going to be part of each other's lives forever now, so I should probably share my interests with you."

"I'm not so sure your interests are something that I want to share." I say, raising an eyebrow up at him.

"C'mon, Sakura. How is _Icha, Icha_ any different from reading a regular romance novel?"

"I wouldn't know! I don't read romance novels either!"

"So what have you got to lose? Trust me, Sakura, Jiraiya is an amazing writer. Even if romance novels aren't your thing, you're sure to find something to like in his stories. They're not all about sex, you know?"

"They aren't? Well that's news to me! I'm sure that's news to Jiraiya - God rest his soul - too!"

"No, they're not." Kakashi says still in that calm manner of his. "He has a lot to say about love and life in general. Sometimes you even learn some new things-"

"For the bedroom."

"No, well, actually, yeah, but there's other stuff, too."

"Like what?" I say, crossing my arms across my chest.

"I don't know. Like...how to stand up for what you believe even when - no - _especially_ when people try to tear you down. Or how a person's worth is based on how they treat people and try to help them out and not on how a person looks or what they have. If you just get past the smutty parts you'll see what I mean."

"Are you sure we're still talking about _Icha, Icha_?!"

"Yes, we are. There's a reason why _Icha, Icha_ is so popular."

"I thought it was just because of all the sex."

"For some people it is, for some people it isn't, but stories based on sex alone can only go so far. Getting off is all good and fine, but once the high fades off people want something with more substance."

"And _Icha, Icha_ offers that - substance?"

"You just gotta get past the smutty parts." Kakashi reassures me. "...What? Why are you looking at me like that?" Kakashi asks, looking back at me worriedly.

"Yamato-teichou was right: You do have a way with words. Hand it over."

Kakashi digs into his back pouch, pulls out the bright orange book, and puts it into my waiting hand with a triumphant look in his eye.

"Love you." Kakashi says sweetly.

"Yeah, well, we'll see how you feel about that once I've got you categorizing poisons."

"Why would I-"

"You shared your interests with me, so I sure as hell am going to share mine with you!"

"But at least my interests aren't boring!"

"What are you saying?" I squint scrutinizingly back at Kakashi.

"Ahahaha! Poisons. Can't wait!" Kakashi says, nervously scratching the back of his head.

I squint at him one last time, then lay my head back against his shoulder.

After several minutes of silence, Kakashi breaks it with a quiet "I really do miss him, though."

"Who?"

"Jiraiya." Kakashi says softly.

"Let me guess why: Because you wish he could've kept writing more _Icha, Icha_?" I ask with a knowing smirk.

"Well, of course, but not only that, I really did respect the man. Sure, he could be a character sometimes, but he could also hold his own. _I'd_ trust him with my life if his wasn't cut so short."

"You're right. He's just like Naruto. Sometimes he just _really_ gets under your skin, but when it counts the most, he's there for you."

We both smile at the thought, but then another thought, a sadder one, occurs to me.

"Once you die, that's it, isn't it? No more chances to do all the things you planned to do. No more new experiences. You're just...cut off."

"Death isn't so bad. Not really." Kakashi says quietly.

When I lift my head off his shoulder to look at him, I see that he's looking up at the moon, but from the vacant look in his eye I can tell that he's not really seeing it. He's someplace else, somewhere far away. Like he's reminiscing about _that_ place, the one we never talk about.

It's not that he avoids the subject. He spoke openly enough about it with Naruto when Naruto came to him all wide-eyed and curious like a little kid. It's just...I never asked and he never brought it up on his own. If I were to hazard to guess, it was because he didn't want to make me feel guilty and yet ironically enough, I never brought it up _because_ I felt guilty.

Yes, I was curious, just as much as Naruto. After all, it might have answered my own questions about God and heaven, but guilt has a way of shutting you up and shutting you down. I'm a medic, after all, and because of Tsunade's mentoring, one of the best at that. Yet where was I when Kakashi needed me the most? I could've saved his life, but I didn't. I should've been at his side, but I wasn't. If Naruto hadn't talked Pein into having a change of heart...

So, I never asked.

Not him nor anyone else who was brought back to life that day, because if I asked too many questions, then maybe the person I was asking might start asking too many questions of their own. And what do you say to someone who asks you why you hadn't been there for them and why you hadn't saved their life when you could? It's not that I think so little of my friends and see them as so mean hearted, but _I_ would know that even if they never asked that they probably still wondered those things silently in their heads, and I simply couldn't handle my own guilt and shame...

But Kakashi is right. We're going to be a part of each other's lives forever now and when you step into something as big as that, you have to learn to just let go of your inhibitions and completely open yourself up to another person as terrifying as that may be. It may leave you vulnerable, but it may strengthen you as well. So...I ask.

"What was it like, dying?"

Kakashi's gaze moves from the face of the moon to mine. He seems surprised that, after all these years, I'm finally asking, but at the same time he seems pleased by it, relieved even, like I've finally given him permission to address the elephant in the room.

And when he starts to relive the memory of his death, he doesn't seem saddened or pained by it like I had expected. Instead, his one exposed eye slightly crinkles, as if he's smiling beneath his mask.

"For me it was actually quite peaceful, like all the burdens of this world just melted away and I could finally just _breathe_. And it didn't feel like the end of something, it actually felt like the beginning of something new."

"I don't understand."

"When I died, this world ceased to exist, but somehow my consciousness didn't. It just...went to a different plane. I don't know how else to explain it."

"You mean you went to heaven?"

"No, not heaven, not hell either. Maybe it was a waiting room, a kind of purgatory."

"A waiting room?"

"A campsite, actually, in the middle of darkness."

"That's interesting. I thought that when you died you became like a moth, going towards the light and all that."

"Well, there was a light - from the campfire."

"There's a campfire in purgatory?"

"Apparently there is. Or maybe just in _my_ version of purgatory...and my dad's."

"You saw your dad?"

"He was the first person I saw when I died. The only person I saw, actually."

"Wow, so what was that like, seeing your dad again?"

"Like I'd finally come home and there was nothing to be afraid of. Like I was right where I ought to be."

I say nothing, hurt by the implications of what he'd just said. Hadn't he wondered about his home here or all the people he had left behind? Hadn't he felt like _this_ was where he needed to be? But he's too lost in his story, too pleased with the memory of his death, and it doesn't feel right to interrupt him.

"I finally got to bond with my dad." Kakashi says euphorically. "That was all I ever wanted growing up. It's what motivated me to advance through the ninja ranks at such a young age: To gain his approval, but even though he was proud of me and encouraged me when I was growing up, we never just sat down and talked the way we did around that campfire. There was no hurry, no hidden agenda, he wasn't even 'White Fang' anymore. He was just my dad." Kakashi says with warmth in his voice and in his eye. "And I was finally able to forgive him, too, because I finally understood why he left me the way he did, and that's all _he_ ever wanted. In that one moment in time we both finally got what we wanted most from each other and were closer to each other than we ever were when we were both still alive. It's crazy, isn't it? That it's only in death that we both came to understand each other?" Kakashi laughs, shaking his head.

I wonder if Kakashi realizes how much he's just like Mokuren, having both peeked into death and come back alive, bringing with them the knowledge and understanding of the virtues and sacrifices that their parent had made. Or maybe you just have to grow older and experience more of life and the world to understand such things.

"Well, I think it's great that you both got the closure that you needed and I don't think it's crazy at all. At the hospital I've come to learn that even just the prospect of death makes people reevaluate their lives and see it clearer than when they were stuck in all its mess. You guys just needed some perspective. Of course, most of us don't go to the extreme of _dying_ in order to gain perspective, but you don't like to do things halfway, do you?" I smirk at him.

"Now don't go saying something like that, Sakura. You'll ruin my reputation!"

"C'mon, Kakashi. We both know you weren't being lazy when you were teaching us."

"I wasn't?" Kakashi asks, the look in his eye totally confused.

"No. You just wanted to prove how much more advanced you were than us, so you barely lifted a finger."

"I did?"

"You mean you didn't?" I ask.

We both take a moment to look at each other confused. Then, we shrug our shoulders and snuggle against each other once more to stare back up at the moon. Kakashi seems fully content to sit quietly like this until the fireworks start, but one thing still bothers me.

"So you really didn't miss any of us when you died?" I ask, unable to keep the irritation out of my voice as I lift my head off his shoulder and look back accusingly at him.

Kakashi's eye widens and I see a bead of sweat trickle down his temple.

"Sakura, I was dead, but not for very long. If I had stayed dead, I'm pretty sure I would've had time to miss all of you, but in that brief moment in time I was just too happy to see my dad again who I hadn't seen in ages. You understand, don't you?"

"Yes, of course I do." I say, feeling bad now for even questioning him. "I'm sorry you had to die in the first place. I should've been there for you and I should've saved your life. I'm _so_ sorry that I failed you and everyone else, too."

I feel his finger under my chin and then I'm no longer looking at my feet, but straight at him.

"Sakura, you need to listen to me very carefully when I say this: No one blames you for what happened that day. There was too much going on, too many of us were hurt or dying, and you could only do so much. Don't let anyone, most especially yourself, make you feel guilty for not being able to save everyone. You're human, not Pein." he says with a hint of humor in his voice.

I smile back at him, relieved. It's like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders.

"Thank you, Kakashi, but I still don't know what I would've done if you never came back." I say, leaning my head back against his shoulder.

"That's really sweet of you, Sakura." Kakashi says, lifting the arm I'm leaning against to wrap it around me instead and to gently kiss me on the crown of the head. "But you shouldn't underestimate yourself either. You're stronger than when I first met you and not just in the physical sense, and knowing that, I'm sure you would've kept surviving and fighting with or without me."

"Kakashi, we both know that surviving and actually living aren't the same thing. You can keep surviving as a vegetable, but even as a medic I wouldn't count that as living, would you?"

"No, you're right, it's not." Kakashi says quietly, undoubtedly thinking back to all those times he stood catatonic in front of the memorial stone, staring at three specific names carved into its surface.

They say that it's better to have love and lost than never to have loved at all, and in some ways it's true. (4) At the very least you would've lived your life having experienced love, but at the same time the pain of knowing what you once had and acknowledging its loss can also make you strongly believe that ignorance is bliss. The mere thought of losing Kakashi - not being able to feel the weight of his arm around my shoulders, or breathe in his scent, or feel the warmth of his body close to mine, to only feel empty space all around me and have nothing to connect me to him but fading memories of the sound of his laugh and the way his eye crinkles when he smiles - it makes my stomach drop and my heart clench. The pain of such loss is unfathomable.

"I'm glad you decided to come back." I say quietly. "I'm glad I'm not one of those people washing your name on a cold piece of stone. It's not the same as having you right here with me."

"I'm glad I came back, too, but to be honest I don't think I really had much of a choice."

"How so?"

"In that other world, I didn't understand why I was being brought back to this one. My dad said it was probably because I still had things to do. Actually, maybe that's the reason and purpose behind being a survivor. Maybe life goes on to offer you with new opportunities you never even dreamed of. Now that I think of it...Maybe this is one of them."

"Sitting with me on a rooftop, looking up at the moon?"

"Sure beats all those years of sitting up here alone." Kakashi says, smiling down at me with a happy eye crease.

My eyes widen in realization. For as long as I've known Kakashi, how many times had I seen him sitting on the rooftops reading his book? And for all those times I never once imagined that someday I'd be sitting right next to him, contemplating life and death and planning to share our lives forever together.

"Yes, it most definitely does." I agree, smiling warmly back at him. Then, we snuggle comfortably back against each other and lift our heads up to the heavens to watch the Obon fireworks turn the starry night sky into day.

To be continued...

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Links (Just remove spaces):

(1a) Watch the Bon Odori danced to the Pokémon Ondo:

youtube. com/watch?v=GIIBjIFlzDU

(1b) Learn how to dance the Bon Odori (One of them anyway):

youtube. com/watch?v=F4EGcnahiTs

(2) Moon calender:

paulcarlisle. net/mooncalendar/

(3) Picture of Toro Nagashi:

eons. com/images/members/2008/7/29/1/7/17945371219540554088_610w. jpeg

(4) "Better to have love and lost..."

www. phrases. org. uk/meanings/62650. html

Fact sources:

en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Obon_Festival

gojapan. about. com/cs/japanesefestivals/a/obonfestival. htm

www. iobt. org/_obon_origins. php

gojapan. about. com/od/currentevents/tp/moonviewingevents. htm


	55. 1st Time KakaSaku Celebrate Kaka's Bday

I once said in a meme that I wasn't sure if I had the guts to do this, but I just really don't feel like doing another straight on lemon, so as much as posting this scares me, here goes everything...

**WARNING: Rated M** for **strong** sexual content! If you don't like that sort of thing, turn back now! (Or read, but stop when you feel the lemon coming up.)

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**Chapter 55-The First Time KakaSaku Celebrate Kakashi's Birthday**

* * *

Would it be wrong of me to mention to Kakashi that his birthday used to be the exact same day that Japan and the ninja countries used to celebrate Respect for the Aged Day? (1) I think so. Besides, as it is the man is peeved with all the jokes he's received and keeps getting for being with someone so much younger than himself. I have to admit, though, that even I find some of the jokes pretty funny, like the one about having a parent-teacher conference when we went to see my parents. I mean, what can you do? You can either get mad and punch the ground all the time (I tried that for a bit until Shishou threatened to dock the village's repair fees from my paycheck) or access the jokes on a case by case basis and take it from there. Seeing how most of the village has either learned to accept or ignore us, the jokes about our relationship nowadays are as harmless as jokes about Gai's leotard and Kakashi and I have learned to take most of them in stride, but on a day like today even laid-back Kakashi isn't to be teased about how old he's getting.

It's hard to believe that Kakashi is almost 40 today, 37 to be exact, and here I am barely into my 20's! It's easy to push the age difference thing aside, however, when the man you're with seems to be on the same maturity level as you and when he doesn't seem to physically age. After all, girls are said to mature faster than boys, so on a mental level we're probably closer to equals. As for his amazing and young looking physique, chalk it up to all the exercise he gets from being an elite shinobi. Not only that, with his mask on Kakashi looks no more than a few years older than myself. With his mask off, he looks surprisingly even younger than that. Maybe it's because he keeps his face covered up all the time and his skin rarely gets touched by the elements, or maybe it's just good genes. Maybe it's a little bit of both. Either way, when it comes right down to it the "big issue" isn't even really an issue between the two of us...Except on days like today when Kakashi suffers from what can only be deemed as "a mid-life crisis," so I've taken it upon myself to make him forget all about getting older and simply enjoy having made it to his next birthday. After all, in our line of work living to see your next birthday truly is an accomplishment in and of itself!

Kakashi, being the anti-social person he is, isn't much for parties. Knowing that, I know better than to force one on him. He's uncomfortable enough growing older as it is. I don't want to add feeling socially uncomfortable on top of that. However, this makes things easier for me because now it can just be him and me and all I have to worry about is making his birthday as special and memorable as possible.

I'm a firm believer that in choosing a gift for someone that it should be something that suits that person's personality and tastes. For Naruto, it's easy. A gift certificate to Ichiraku Ramen and he's happy as a clam. For Sai, extra supplies of scrolls, ink, and paintbrushes are enough to make his fake smile genuine. And for Yamato? Termite repellent. That's why it's so frustrating trying to figure out what to get Kakashi. It's not that I don't know what he likes. We're way past "I have no intention of telling you my likes and dislikes." If anything, he's now the person I'm closest to and know the best. It's just that his main interest is in _Icha, Icha_ and unfortunately, he already has all the books and since the author has passed away, I can't get him any more new books from the series. And he likes to stand in front of the memorial stone for hours on end, so what do I get him for that? An umbrella just in case it rains? Sunblock if it gets too hot and sunny?

I stare vacantly for a long time at the cover of the _Icha, Icha_ book I'm reading, trying to figure out what to do, and then...it hits me.

~*~*~*~

On this early mid-September morning, it's cool and slightly cloudy, but rays of faint sunlight peek through here and there, so my first birthday gift to Kakashi is neither an umbrella or sunblock. Instead, my first birthday gift to him is to get out of bed as early as he does (even though it's my day off and I would really much rather sleep in), and dutifully stand by his side in front of the memorial stone, wrapping an arm around his waist to help keep him warm as he pays his respects to his adopted family.

My second gift to him is to spend the better part of the rest of the day with him doing what he likes to do best: Lazing around on the rooftops reading _Icha, Icha,_ lazing around in the tree branches reading _Icha, Icha,_ and what else? Oh, yeah! Lazing around at home reading _Icha, Icha_! Seriously, the man is obsessed! And although I've read each book from the series at least once already and have a clearer understanding as to why he loves them so much (Who knew he was right? _Icha, Icha_ actually does have plot and substance!), I still don't have his stamina to read it hour upon hour on end. So although I make sure to keep him company on the rooftops, or the treetops, or whatever other strange place he decides to read his book, more often than not I catch up on reading the latest medical journals instead or simply nap by his side, or in his lap, or my favorite spot of all, in his embrace...Even if it does mean he's got one arm around my shoulders and the other one holding up his precious book!

Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if such antics are what have kept him single for so long, but then again, I suppose that's what makes me different from those other women: While they may have found Kakashi's eccentricities intolerable, I've actually learned to tolerate them. Don't get me wrong, they annoy me just as much as those other women, but the thing is...I love him. I want to spend the rest of my life with him, and you can't do that if you don't learn to be flexible and give in every now and then, so I've given in to his obsession and learned to accept it. Actually, it would be stranger for me if one day he suddenly decided to stop reading _Icha, Icha_ altogether. It's a part of who he is and to lose any part of him, even a part of him like that, would alter the person I fell in love with in the first place.

So long story short, Kakashi is a damn lucky man to have someone like me put up with his sorry ass, and I make sure to remind him of that fact every chance I get!...And then a couple of days later I'll have a temper tantrum, end up saying sorry to him, and the roles are reversed with him being the one to remind _me_ of how lucky _I_ _am_ to have someone like _him_. And while that could be the beginnings of another fight, it never does turn into one because what he says is true and we both know it, so we just call it even and get ready for the next time the cycle happens all over again.

But as tolerant as I may be of Kakashi's reading habits, it doesn't stop me from giving a big sigh of relief when we finally do make it back home. At least when we're at home I can do other stuff, like cook his birthday dinner, while he continues to read that inseparable book of his!

If there's one thing I know about Kakashi, it's that the man loves to eat. What man doesn't? There's a reason why the saying "A way to a man's heart is through his stomach" exists. And it's not like I don't know how to cook. Cooking was one of the first things we were taught to do in our kunoichi classes at the Academy. Not only does it give you the convincing front that you're a housewife or a servant, but it also gives you the convenient opportunity to slip drugs into an enemy's food if need be, but frankly, on my time off I simply don't have the patience to cook. Between working at the hospital and the Hokage office and doing missions in-between, the last thing I want to do when I get home is even more work in the kitchen, so the fact that I'm _taking the time_ to cook for Kakashi now speaks volumes. Fortunately, the man is smart enough not to expect such treatment everyday. If he did, I'd make sure to put _him_ in his place, and with that happy thought, I put an eggplant on my cutting board and chop off a sizable piece with a satisfying _clunk_ of my very sharp knife.

~*~*~*~

"Something smells good!" Kakashi gushes as he steps into the kitchen a couple of hours later.

"I made you your favorite," I smile at him. "Salted broiled saury and eggplant miso soup."

"You're amazing, Sakura! Thank you!" he says, kissing me on the lips before sitting down to dig into his food with about as much tact and decorum as Naruto when he's eating Ichiraku ramen.

As Kakashi helps himself to more helpings, I excuse myself and go into the other room to prepare his fourth and final gift.

Kakashi has just finished wiping his mouth with his napkin and sat back full and satiated on his chair when I slowly walk into the room.

Kakashi's one exposed eye immediately grows wide and round, and a bead of sweat trickles down his temple. His eye wanders down to the revealing strapless red dress I'm wearing, its hem short enough to show plenty of thigh and leg, and its fit tight enough to show plenty of curves in all the right places, but what makes this hot little number so meaningful (for him at least) is the long, charcoal gray hair wig I'm wearing to go with it.

"S-Sakura?..." Kakashi stutters, the look in his eye wide with disbelief.

"Tonight you can call me Junko." I say with a wink.

Kakashi looks like he's about to go into hypovolemic shock from all the blood spurting out of his nose. After all, this has got to be a lifelong fantasy of his: To have the heroine of _Icha, Icha_ herself come to life...Or at least have someone roleplay as her.

"Wow, Sakura, you look absolutely amazing! And you look exactly like Junko, too! I can't believe you did this!"

"Well, I was trying to find you the perfect gift, and seeing how you love _Icha, Icha_ so much..." I trail off with a shrug of my shoulders.

"Sakura, you are so sweet and so thoughtful. You always have been. Thank you!" Kakashi says, cupping my face in his hands and kissing me on the lips. "But..." Kakashi continues, gently tugging my wig off both to my shock and confusion. "As sweet as it is that you dressed up as someone you _thought_ I would want, I don't need some fantasy woman either to make me happy, not when I've got the real thing who's better than anything Jiraiya, God rest his soul, could ever make up," he says, taming my now staticy pink hair with the palms of his hands before cupping my face again and smiling warmly down at me.

"Now who's the one who's sweet?" I ask, returning his smile. "Well, I guess I should change out of this silly getup then, huh?"

"Now hold on there." Kakashi says, grabbing my bare bicep as I try to walk away. "Just because I said I don't _need_ fantasies doesn't mean I don't _enjoy_ them every now and then. Besides, what kind of boyfriend would I be if I turned down my girlfriend's gift?" he asks, the sweet, warm look in his eye replaced by one far less innocent, one that says he would want nothing more than to do unspeakable things to me.

My eyes widen, but what did I expect dressing up like this for him? I essentially dressed up as his favorite porn star!

"Alright, Kakashi." I say boldly. "It's your birthday and I'll do _anything you want_." I say in a sing-song voice while trailing a finger down his chest.

"Anything?" Kakashi asks, his one exposed eye growing wide.

"Anything." I promise in my sultriest voice.

Kakashi looks like he's going to faint from all the blood loss.

"You promise you won't get angry or hurt me or break up with me if I ask you for something...uh...unconventional?"

My resolve starts to quaver a little. Before Jiraiya died Kakashi was Konoha's Number Two Pervert, but now that Jiraiya's gone that makes Kakashi Konoha's Number ONE Pervert, which means agreeing to do whatever perverted things he wants to do could have serious consequences.

"Kakashi, what is it exactly that you want me to do?" I ask, unable to hide the hint of fear in my voice.

"Promise me first, Sakura."

I can feel my heart pounding in my chest and every fiber of my moral being shouting "Don't promise! Don't promise! Runaway NOW!", but now I'm also really curious. It can't hurt to at least hear him out, so against my better judgment...

"Okay, Kakashi, I promise that I won't get angry or hurt you or break up with you. Now what is it that you want me to do?"

Kakashi's face flushes bright red. It takes _a lot_ for Kakashi's face to flush red like that. After all, we're talking about the same man who can read porn while fighting off his genin team and not break a sweat from either activity.

_Oh, God...What did you just have us agree to?!_ Inner Sakura groans in my head.

Kakashi - in an uncharacteristic show of shyness - whispers it in my ear.

My eyes go wide and I feel my own face burn red hot in embarrassment. Oh, my God...It's even worse than what I imagined!

"You want _me_ to do it?" I ask hysterically.

Kakashi looks like he's in fear for his life, as he should be. I mean, I knew the man was perverted. I just didn't realize _how much!_

"No, Sakura! You're not going to do it, I am! Oh, never mind! I knew it was too weird! I knew I should've never even asked! Here you are so sweet, making me dinner and dressing up for me and I ruined it all by making that suggestion. I'm SO sorry! Please forgive me and forget that I ever asked!"

I look at Kakashi with my heart racing, but not for the reason he thinks. I'm not angry, I'm actually...excited.

"Kakashi. Calm. Down." I say with my hands spread out in front of me as if to restrain his own hysteria. "I didn't say I wasn't going to do it. I just want to clarify _how_ exactly it is that you want us to do this."

Now Kakashi looks completely floored, like I had just told him that "Yes, Kakashi, Santa Claus is real."

"Really?" Kakashi, the _Great_ Copy Nin Sharingan Kakashi, asks in an almost half squeak.

"Yes, really. I'll do it." And just as the words come out of my mouth, I'm just as surprised as he is by my willingness to do it.

Kakashi is still looking at me like I just sprouted wings, or more appropriately, horns and a devil's tail.

"You are, Sakura, right? Sweet, innocent little Sakura who likes to pick flowers out on the field just as much as she likes to punch guys on the top of the head for so much as looking at her the wrong way? You're not a henge or a genjutsu, right?"

Really, his reaction is almost laughable. Hadn't he ever heard that the sweetest, most innocent looking girls are the naughtiest ones of all? Our goodie-two-shoes appearance only makes us want to rebel even more against it and the best way to vent that frustration is behind closed doors which is conveniently where the bedroom is located.

"No, Kakashi, I'm not a henge or a genjutsu. This is really me. And please...You and I both know that you took my innocence away a long time ago starting with that New Year's Day kiss, and then you corrupted me even more by persuading me to read _Icha, Icha_. Besides, we've been together for how long now? Eight months? And in that eight months it does start to feel like we should try something new. I admit that what you suggested isn't the first thing that would've come to my mind, but we're going to be together forever now and I don't want you to think that you can't ask to live out your sexual fantasies with me."

"Sakura, I still can't believe you're agreeing to do this with me!"

"What can I say? Live with someone long enough and you start to inherit their traits, right? So I guess I've inherited your pervertedness. Speaking of which, you were my first, but now that we're about to do this, does this also make you my second, third, and fourth as well?" I ask with a smirk.

Now Kakashi _really_ looks like he's about to faint.

"Sakura, you want to do that many this first time around? I was just going to make one!"

"Ahahaha!" I laugh and nervously scratch the back of my head in another manner I inherited from him. "Well, you said...so I just figured...Never mind!" I say, feeling more red faced than before. "Besides, 'this first time'? You're starting to sound a little bit too confident there, Kakashi! I'm not even sure how I'll like _this_ time for there to be others!"

"Sakura, you do know why I want to do this, right?"

"Of course. By doing it this way, you'll multiply your pleasure."

"Which means you'll multiply yours as well."

Kakashi and I look significantly at each other.

"Do it." I tell him.

Kakashi smirks down at me.

"Gladly." he says and proceeds to do the proper hand sign.

_Poof!_

...And now I'm staring at two identical Kakashis. I don't even know which one is the real one and which one is the clone anymore!

My heart feels like it's ready to pound straight out of my chest. I can't believe I'm actually going to do this! What do you even say in a situation like this? "Hi, pleased to meet you"? It's not even a new person, it's still him - Doubled!

I smile awkwardly at the two Kakashis, not knowing what to do, not knowing what to say, not knowing if I even want to go through with this.

Reading the uncertainty on my face, one of the Kakashis steps up to me, bows his head down close to mine, and tells me gently, "Relax, Sakura. It's me. Whatever happens, it's still only going to be you and me and no one else. We're just making things interesting, that's all. Okay?" he asks, tilting his head to look me straight in the eyes.

I look back at him and slowly nod my head.

"Good. I don't want to force you to do anything you're uncomfortable with."

I can't help but laugh.

"Kakashi, of course I feel uncomfortable! We're about to do something that's completely and utterly kinky! I don't know anyone who has done this before, not even Ino and that's saying a lot! I mean, do _you_ know of anyone who's done this before?"

Kakashi rubs the back of his neck awkwardly.

"Actually, I kind of got this idea from somebody else. A lot of somebody elses. It's just one of those things you hear about and wonder if people actually did it and if it really works."

I don't know what's made my mouth drop even more, the fact that there are other people who have already tried this or the fact that the misuse of the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu is common among ninjas to begin with!

"Kakashi...Have _you_ tried this before?!"

"No, Sakura, I haven't. I promise you that you're the first and only person I'm trying this with. Don't get me wrong, I've wanted to try it before, I just never found someone I trusted enough to even ask."

And that's when I knew I had it in bad for Kakashi: That even when he's saying something like _that_, I still think it's really sweet because he just confessed that he's never trusted anyone else like me before. He's officially made a head-over-heels fool out of me.

"You're lucky I love you, you filthy perv, because believe me, if anyone else asked me to do something as crazy as this, they'd be six feet underground thanks to a chakra punch to the top of their head!"

"Trust me, I know. That's why I asked you to marry me first and made sure it's my birthday before I made this kind of request. It's kind of hard to say 'no' to someone who's both your fiancé _and_ the birthday boy all rolled into one." Kakashi says with a happy eye crease.

"And yet if I chakra punched you into an impromptu grave, you'd be neither one to me."

"Ah, but then you'd be lonely and miss me and have regrets for ever having done such a thing."

"I...You...You're a damn lucky man, that's all I'm saying!"

"I know and I won't ever forget it." Kakashi says sweetly, then cups my face in his hands, tilts my head up to his, and slowly - lovingly - kisses me, but surprisingly not on the lips, but on the corner of the mouth...on the cheek...on a closed eyelid...on the other cheek...the side of the neck, softly kissing me everywhere except the mouth. It's kissing foreplay and just like regular foreplay, when you finally get to the real goal it's just...

It's just better when you don't rush it. Every part of your body, including your mind, is prepared, eager, and ready for what will come next, so that when you finally do get to the main course, it just somehow tastes better than if you had scarfed it down all at once. So when Kakashi's lips finally touch mine, as light as the contact may be, it feels like my lips are on fire. I'm aware of every texture of his lips, every slight pressure and tilt of his mouth, the smell and warmth of his breath, and the taste on his lips. If it had all been rushed, I would've only been vaguely aware of all those small, but highly important details.

Whereas Kakashi's kisses had been soft and gentle at the beginning, they're becoming increasingly harder and more desperate as they progress. The chaste, closed mouth kisses from before are now replaced by full opened mouth ones complete with lip tugging and tongue gliding. I've just started to lose myself in his intensifying kiss when I feel a second pair of lips start to sprinkle hot, opened mouth ones on the back and sides of my neck and across my shoulders.

...Can we say weird? But as weird as this may all be, it also feels so, _so_ good. Multiply your pleasure is right and we haven't even gotten to the serious stuff yet!

While never breaking our kiss, the Kakashi in front of me starts to slowly move backwards and the second Kakashi and I follow his every step until we reach the living room sofa where the Kakashi in front plops down onto it and looks up expectantly at me. Wanting to pick up right where we left off, I climb up onto his lap and sit face forward on it. Then, mimicking what he did to me earlier, I cup his face in both of my hands and slowly, lovingly, start to kiss him everywhere on the face and neck except on the lips, leaving the best for last, but once our lips touch each other once more, it isn't very long before we're back to tugging each other's lips and gliding our tongues against each other.

Seeing how we've resituated ourselves and are back to where we left off, Kakashi Number Two moves in close behind me so that he can pick up right where he left off as well, holding my hair up to continue kissing and sucking on the back and sides of my neck and the curves of my shoulders.

I'm kind of getting used to this kissing extravaganza when I feel two pairs of hands on me, one pair rubbing up and down my sides while the other pair gently slides up and down my bare arms, and while both touches are relatively innocent, the double sensation is making me excited a lot quicker than if it had been just a single pair of hands.

And then, the hands start to wander and the touches are becoming less and less innocent.

One pair of hands is rubbing up and down the outside of my thighs, bringing my already short skirt a little higher up with every stroke. Meanwhile, another pair of hands is starting to slowly pull the zipper on the back of my dress down. It's Kakashi Number Two, and as he slowly reveals every inch of my bare back, he places a soft kiss upon it. I pull away from my kiss with Kakashi Number One just in time to turn around and see Kakashi Number Two pull the zipper down as far as it will go and kiss the lowest part of my back just above the waistband of my panties, but with the top of my dress now pooled around my waist, Kakashi Number One has a front and center view of my exposed breasts and he doesn't wait long to literally grab the opportunities sticking right in front of his face. Squeezing one breast to make the nipple pucker out even more, he wraps his lips around it and starts to gently suck, flick, and lavish his tongue around the soft mound of flesh while his other hand gently massages the other breast and roll its hardened nipple between thumb and pointer finger so that it doesn't feel neglected.

Meanwhile, Kakashi Number Two must be feeling neglected because he's patting me on the hips, silently telling me to get up off Kakashi Number One's lap. Obligingly - regretfully - I pull myself away from Kakashi Number One and all the lovely things his mouth and hands are doing to my breasts and unstraddle myself from around his hips, but I have no intention of making him feel neglected either. If anything, I want to repay the favor, so I put my hands on his thighs, gently push them apart to spread his legs, and throw a sofa pillow on the floor so that I can kneel in-between them. He knows what I intend to do, but I slide my hands up and down the insides of his thighs instead, waiting until normally cool-headed Kakashi starts to lose his patience before moving my hands up to where we both want them the most, cupping and rubbing against the obvious bulge in his pants. Then, pulling down on his fly, I finally release his erection which had been straining hard against the taut fabric.

With his erection now exposed and twitching in time to every breath he takes, I gently wrap my fingers around the thick, hardened muscle and rub my hand up and down against it, eliciting a pleasured moan from Kakashi. A glistening bead of precum has already seeped through the small slit at his tip and I use it to help lubricate his cock and smoothen the movements of my hand against it, but it isn't enough. For the sake of lubrication, I lower my head down between his legs and start to lap my tongue against the underside of his cock from base to tip like a cat lapping up a bowl of milk before wrapping my lips around him and taking him completely into my mouth. With my lips still wrapped tight around his cock, I swirl, press, and tickle my tongue against the soft, silky skin over hardened muscle while rhythmically bobbing my head up and down and gently juggling the delicate sac between his legs, making sure not to squeeze too tight or nick him with my fingernails. I know I'm doing it just the way he likes it when Kakashi gives a deep, long groan of approval. I only stop and release him from my mouth when my lungs start to ache from lack of oxygen, but make sure to quickly replace my bobbing mouth with my sliding hand instead. As I had hoped, my licking and sucking helped lubricate him and my hand is gliding against him much quicker and easier than before.

My bent down position is working towards Kakashi Number Two's advantage as well. The dress, being as short as it is, isn't very good at keeping things covered once I bend down and Kakashi Number One didn't help matters either when he kept pushing the dress further up earlier. As a result, Kakashi Number Two has a lovely view of my G-string, or butt floss as I like to call it. I usually don't wear such things, impractical as they are, but I knew what tonight was going to be all about, so I made sure to purchase the sexiest piece of underwear I could think of and by the way Kakashi Number Two is rubbing his hand appreciatively back and forth between my legs, I'm pretty sure he's grateful for the extra effort. It's not long before he's rubbing me harder, however, and with the butt floss covering as little as it does, it doesn't take much for him to push the thread-thin fabric aside and rub me without barrier instead, which satisfies some of the aching need, but not the need itself. I'm soaked, more than ready to have him enter me now. Knowing this, but still wanting to deny me what I really want most, he lightly traces a fingertip from top to bottom of my slit before sliding it and a couple of other fingers deep inside. Eager for something, _anything_, to finally clamp onto, my inner muscles quickly suction the invading digits in, rippling around them in pleasure even though they're not the part of his anatomy they had really been longing for.

Kakashi Number Two continues kissing my bare back, but now with his fingers sliding slowly in and out and his other hand quickly teasing my hypersensitive clit, the sensations are too much and I start to moan with Kakashi Number One still deep in my throat. He only seems to appreciate that, however, letting out his own pleasured moan as the vibrations from my throat vibrate pleasantly against the most sensitive part of his anatomy.

The need to be filled with more than just a few fingers is unbelievable, so it's a great sense of relief when I hear the distinctive unzipping of pants behind me and feel the unmistakable sensation of a hard mushroom-shaped tip make contact against my eagerly waiting slit. Holding himself in his hand, Kakashi rubs himself up and down against the slippery slick hole a few times, letting the juices lubricate his cock, and then I finally feel pressure as he slowly and carefully pushes his hips forward. Every inch of penetration makes me want to sigh in relief. It's like finally scratching an itch that you just couldn't reach, but what comes out of my lips instead is a highly erotic moan. The feeling must be mutual as I hear Kakashi Number Two let out a similar moan. After all, for him it must be like massaging a muscle that was all tensed up in knots which, technically, is sort of what I'm doing for him.

When I look up at the Kakashi I'm sucking, I see that he's looking intently back down at me in complete awe and wonder as I savor the feeling of Kakashi Number Two slowly stretching and filling me up.

Eventually, Kakashi Number Two is inside as far and as deep as he can go. We stay still against each other for a minute, simply enjoying the sensation of finally being joined before slowly starting to move back and forth against each other. Once we have an effortless rhythm going, I venture to raise my eyes back up to Kakashi Number One, but realize that he's no longer looking intently down at me like before. Instead, he's intently watching as Kakashi Number Two slides in and out from behind me doggy style.

For a fleeting second, I catch the Kakashi in front pass a secretive look to the Kakashi in back. I don't even have a chance to ask what it means because at that same instant I feel the Kakashi behind me grab my hips and start to quickly push and pull me against him at the same time he quickly drives into me. As a result, my mouth is also moving at an equally quick pace around the Kakashi I have in my mouth. As strange as this all may be, it also feels _so_ good. There were so many times when I had longed to be filled at the same time I was going down on Kakashi. It's natural. Doing a blowjob makes the girl feel aroused, too, enough to make her ache to be filled while she's going down on a guy. Of course, that conundrum would be an impossibility for most people, but with the way we're doing things now...

I feel a rush of extremely wonderful, extremely _intense_ sensations fire throughout my body making my eyes widen then squeeze tightly shut. And then, it all happens simultaneously.

At the same time my inner muscles clamp down as hard as they possibly can around the Kakashi between my legs, Kakashi Number One thrusts himself as deep into my throat as he can, and Kakashi Number Two thrusts his pelvis as deep and as hard as he can into mine, and we're all just experiencing the strongest, most intense, and _longest_ orgasm each of us has ever experienced in our lives. I expect it to ebb down any minute, but it just won't stop! Long after our orgasms should have ended, both Kakashis are still throbbing and spilling inside of me and my inner walls are still continuing to clamp and contract down and around Kakashi Number Two as hard as they can.

And then, after who knows how long, it's _finally_ over.

Kakashi Number One eases himself out of my throat, leans back limp, breathless, and weary against the back of the sofa for about a minute, and then _poofs_ into thin air.

At that same moment, Kakashi Number Two, who turns out to be the _real_ Kakashi, slowly pulls himself out and gives one extremely, satisfied groan as he collapses onto the sofa, using one of its arms as a headrest, undoubtedly feeling not only twice the pleasure, but twice the exhaustion as well as he absorbs all of his clone's experiences.

Meanwhile, the aftershocks of my orgasm are still so strong that even after Kakashi has pulled out, I can still feel my inner muscles continuing to contract and release where he had once been.

Just as exhausted as he is, I climb up onto the sofa and lay down next to him, sandwiching my body between Kakashi's and the back of the sofa. Then, I wrap an arm around his waist and pillow my head against his quickly rising and falling chest.

It's strange...I have the highly erotic and highly satisfying (albeit highly kinky) experience of having been with two men at once, but none of the guilt caused by infidelity. No wonder the misuse of the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu is so popular and prevalent within the ninja ranks! I just wonder why I had never heard of the practice before. Maybe I was, as many people believed, "innocent," or maybe they just perpetuated my innocence by keeping such things from me. Well, one thing's for sure, Kakashi is catching me up quick and my nickname of "innocent" can be easily switched to "experienced and then some" in a heartbeat! I open my mouth to say as much to Kakashi, but when I lift my head off his chest to look at him, I see that he's already sound asleep, gently snoring with his mouth half open.

I carefully reach around him and grab the blanket that had fallen off the sofa and onto the floor during our little "experiment" and pull it over Kakashi and me. Then, I lay my head back down on his chest and close my eyes with a smirk on my face.

It's only in times like these that Kakashi shows his real age.

To be continued...

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Happy Birthday, Kakashi! ^_^

Please remove spaces for link:

(1) en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Respect_for_the_Aged_Day

**Update 9/21/09:** I made a drawing for this chapter. Here's a link:

shippertrish. deviantart. com/art/Kakashi-s-Birthday-Request-137773871


	56. 1st Time KakaSaku Celebrate Halloween

Happy Halloween, everyone! ^_^

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**Chapter 56-The First Time KakaSaku Celebrate Halloween**

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Another group of high pitched screams emanate from the apartment hallway.

I roll my eyes and shake my head before making my way to the front door and popping my head through it.

"Kakashiii..." I say in exasperation.

"What?" he asks innocently.

"Haven't you had enough?"

"But they like it!"

The terrified look in the children's eyes as they look over their shoulder and runaway from us (or should I say Kakashi?) say otherwise, but what can I do? It's Halloween. The kids _do_ want to be frightened, and it's not like Kakashi isn't letting them take any candy before he scares the crap out of them. In fact, the huge orange plastic bowl with bats printed flying around its rim is surprisingly almost empty, which means that either our candy is better than the neighbors' or Kakashi has been very, very generous in handing out the sweets. Seeing how things rarely happen for one reason alone, I'm guessing that it's a little bit of both.

I shake my head and sigh.

"Alright, but once that bowl is empty, that's it, okay?"

Kakashi gives me a happy eye crease and a two fingered salute before going back to reading his book, and I go back inside the apartment to finish sprinkling chocolate sprinkles on top of orange colored icing spread over freshly baked chocolate cupcakes.

Really, Kakashi is enjoying his role as "scarecrow" a little bit too much. Who knew he'd take a comment, an observation, really, so far? I once told him that he really was like his namesake, scarcely moving an inch as he read his book. And from that one little comment he decided to take it one step further and _dress up_ as a scarecrow for Halloween, sitting in a chair by our front door, reading his book with a huge bowl of Halloween candy sitting on a small table next to him. As Kakashi had suspected, what really scares people can sometimes be the simplest things. In this case, all he has to do is suddenly raise his head up from his book and say a cheerful "Happy Halloween!" with his trademark happy eye crease and the neighborhood kids run away screaming their little heads off.

About half an hour and several tiny more screams later, Kakashi walks in through the door, carrying with him his book, chair, and a completely empty bowl.

"That was fun," he says cheerfully.

"For you or for them? Because I'm pretty sure that little pink fairy princess is going to need to get her diaper changed once she goes home now!" I say loudly over the rushing faucet water as I wash the last of the dirty dishes.

"For both of us, of course." Kakashi says, plopping down onto the sofa.

"I swear, you're only good with kids when you're tormenting them!" I say, drying my hands on a dishtowel before joining him in the living room.

"I have no clue what you're talking about."

"C'mon, Kakashi! One of the first things you did to me when I first met you was starve me and make me believe that my childhood crush was dying! You don't count that as torture?"

"I fed you afterwards, didn't I? And that little genjutsu only made you more wary of them from there on out. All and all, I think I did a pretty good job in teaching you guys. What?..." Kakashi asks, confused by the face I'm making at him.

"You might have been good with the boys, but if we had a girl, Kakashi, I seriously don't think you'd know what to do with her!"

"Now what makes you say that?"

"Are you kidding me? When I was a genin, you spent all your time teaching Sasuke, when I was a chuunin, you spent all your time teaching Naruto, and now that I'm your fiancée, you still won't teach me anything one-on-one!"

"That's not true, Sakura. We've done plenty of things together one-on-one and I've taught you more than a few new things while we were at it, too!" Kakashi says with a lascivious smirk.

I feel the vein in my forehead start to throb.

"Kakashi, that's not what I meant and you know it!"

"I know. I'm sorry, Sakura. It's just so much fun teasing you, that's all," he says, reaching his hand out and playfully ruffling my hair the way he used to when I was younger.

"Stop that!" I say, swatting his hand away.

Kakashi, however, just looks back at me with an amused look in his eye.

"I'm serious, Kakashi! Try being the only girl in your team and being overlooked because of it!"

"Is that what you think?" Kakashi asks, taken aback. "Sakura, I never meant to overlook you on purpose and if I spent more time teaching the boys, it was only because you were the one person I didn't have to worry about."

"How's that?"

"Well, for one, you didn't have a big, angry beast sealed up inside of you and you didn't have a blood inheritance you didn't know what to do with since your entire clan had been killed off. In fact, you were the complete opposite. _You_ actually had control of your abilities. No...You had _precise_ control of your abilities. Just look at how quickly you caught on to walking up trees in comparison to the boys."

"That's true. They were the ones watching _my_ back for that particular lesson." I say with pride.

For a fleeting second the look of amusement returns to Kakashi's eye, but just as quickly as it came, it disappears.

"Second, you still had a family to go home to. Sasuke and Naruto didn't, which is why they were in more need of my guidance and why I could relate better to them, too: Because we all lost our families. If Minato-sensei hadn't been there for me-"

Kakashi pauses.

"All I'm saying is that when you're alone in the world and someone finally reaches out a hand, it really does make all the difference in the world. In a way, I just wanted to return the favor."

"I'm sorry, Kakashi. I didn't know-"

"Don't be. I'm just telling you this so that you'll understand why I didn't pay as much attention to you as the boys. And the last reason, the main reason is because Tsunade was simply a more fitting teacher for you than I ever would have been. Both of you possess similar abilities and interests, not to mention tempers-"

I scowl at him for mentioning that, but somehow my reaction only makes his grin even bigger.

"And, well, you're right. In a way, I did pass you over because you're a girl, but-" Kakashi cuts me off before a word of protest can pass through my already open mouth, "Not for the reason you think. During that time, you were at an age where all these changes were happening to you physically. I'd be lying if I didn't say I was happy to hand you off to Tsunade so that she could help you deal with all that instead."

"So you did pass me over because I'm a girl, but not because I was weak?"

"Sakura, you're anything but weak."

"Well, _now_ I'm not and only because of Shishou! Even I know that I was pretty much pathetic and useless back then!"

"You were never weak, Sakura. Your fight with Ino in the chuunin exam proved that, but you _were_ less focused and determined than Sasuke and Naruto back then."

"That's true, but I did wise up and become more focused and determined after I achieved chuunin."

"Yes, you did." Kakashi agrees, nodding his head.

"But then why didn't you start teaching me then?"

"Because by that time I was too focused on teaching Naruto. You saw how it was. I even had to get Tenzou to help me contain the Kyuubi's power."

"And after that? That's almost ten years that you could've focused on teaching me."

"Sakura, Tsunade's already taught you everything you need to know. I don't know what else I could possibly teach you now that you haven't learned already."

"But you're the Copy Nin! You've copied over a thousand jutsus! There has to be _something_ more you can teach me!"

"Well, yeah, but in my mind I was thinking more in the bedroom department." Kakashi says, the lecherous look returning in his eye.

At that moment I feel something inside me snap.

"Ugh! You've got a one track mind!" I glare at him. "To you a woman's worth is only what she can do in those _Icha, Icha_ books of yours!"

"What? Sakura, that's not true!"

"Really? What is it then? Is it because I'd be such a waste of your time? Because heaven forbid I take you away from your precious books which I'm sure you already have memorized by now anyway!"

"Sakura, that's not fair!"

"_I'm_ being unfair? Try having a male chauvinist for a boyfriend!"

"Sakura, you've gone too far." Kakashi says evenly.

"Have I? Or does it just hurt to hear the truth about yourself?"

"Sakura, that's enough. Stop now before you say something more that you'll really regret."

"Why would I regret telling you exactly what I think about the way you treat me? The key to a good relationship is good communication, right? Well, I'm telling you this: Start taking me seriously and start _teaching_ me something, and I don't just mean some kinky thing in the bedroom either! When I'm being serious and you suggest something like that, it's demeaning!"

"Sakura, your temper is demeaning. How can we make this relationship work if you don't know how to control your anger?"

"I have a right to be angry, Kakashi! And if you can't see that, if you can't see _why_ I'm angry, then maybe you don't know me at all!"

I feel his eye burning into my back as he watches me get up and storm away, slamming the front door shut behind me. I do it with so much force that I hear it consequently fall off its hinges and collapse and crash to the floor, but I don't care! I just need to get as far away from him as possible! I just need to _breathe_, yet I'm walking so fast that ease of breath is the last thing that I'm achieving.

Eventually, I plop down onto a bench to try and get a hold of myself. After wiping tears that I didn't know I was crying away and looking around me, I come to realize where I am. I've walked so fast and so far away that I've found myself near the Great Konoha Gates. A part of me had sensed it and automatically stopped me from actually exiting them. And, as irony would have it, ended up sitting and crying on the very bench I sat and cried on when I tried to stop Sasuke from leaving Konoha and consequently, me, forever.

I should chakra punch this stupid bench to dust, but I'm too drained right now and it's the only thing supporting me and keeping me comfortable at the moment. Again...the irony.

At that moment, a group of children dressed up in costume pass me by, too caught up in their own joy and excitement to give me any notice.

I wipe away the remaining hot tears soaking my cheeks with the heels of my hands.

When you're little, your greatest fears can be about what's hiding in the dark or under the bed, but as you grow older, you come to learn that there are other things to fear besides ghosts and monsters. Right now, with so much at stake and with so much left uncertain, my big fight with Kakashi is the scariest thing of all.

To be continued...

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Please don't get mad at me! There's a first for everything and in a real relationship you _will_ end up fighting at some point. It would be inhuman and unnatural if you didn't. You just have to figure out a way to work things out. Yes, easier said than done, but that's how lasting relationships come to last.


	57. Something to be Thankful For

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! ^_^

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**Chapter 57-Something to be Thankful For**

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In the darkness of the bedroom lit only by pale moonlight, I notice a forlorn face looking at me from across the room.

He always did have such a sad looking face. Then again, that's exactly what made me always reach out for him when I was younger, what made him my favorite above all the rest. When I was happy, I wanted to cheer him up, and when I was sad like I am now...

"I know exactly how you feel." I murmur, picking Bunny up from the dusty bookshelf and hugging him tight against my chest.

Dark, wet splotches begin to appear on the top of his furry head, but he's used to it by now. He simply soaks them all in, absorbing the tears until they've finally run dry and I feel better again. He always was a comfort to me, which only makes me feel even more guilty for abandoning him, for putting him aside because I thought I was too old for him. At least I didn't throw him away like in _The Velveteen Rabbit_.

In truth, you can never really outgrow whatever makes you feel safe and secure. Even the toughest of us, the ones who refuse to admit to doing such things, do.

We do it when we curl up in the fetal position when we're severely hurt or scared or both.

We do it when we call our mom on the phone to tell her how badly our day went just to hear her say "It'll be okay" the way she used to when we were younger.

We do it when we somehow find our way back at our parents' house when we have no place else to go.

Yes, we all do it. When you're scared enough, lonely enough, _hurt_ enough, we all go back to our security blanket whatever form it may take: person, place, or thing.

As for me, I did all of the above in the span of just a few hours since I stormed out of the apartment Kakashi and I share.

It's strange being back at home. Once you leave your parents' house, you never really imagine going back. I mean, why would you, right? You've finally gained your independence, so why would you ever consider forfeiting it?

Because life has a cruel sense of humor and its sole purpose seems to be to mess with you. Because a few months ago, your apartment lease ran up and it didn't make any sense to renew it because you were practically living at your boyfriend's apartment anyway, so you two decided to make it "official" by grabbing the rest of your things and start living together _living together_.

Then one day, you two get into a huge fight, you run away, and find yourself out in the middle of the street, in the middle of the night, with no place to go because you don't have your own place to go home to now.

Taking refuge at your best friend's place is out of the question because she's way too nosy and loudmouthed and you know she'll hound you about what happened, so you go into auto mode and go to your parents' house instead.

Your parents will want to hound you, too, but at least they're used to you shouting "I don't want to talk about it!" and slamming your bedroom door closed. They just assume you're back to the moody teenager you were before you left and actually give you time to cool off, letting you come talk to them when you're ready because they're your parents, they know you too well, and they're required by law to put up with stupid shit like that.

As I hold Bunny up, I see from the corner of my eye a shadowy figure dart right outside my bedroom window. Instinctively, my heart jumps both in shock and fear, but almost immediately my ninja training kicks in, quickly trading fear for anger: Anger that someone is trying to break in, anger that they chose _my_ window to do it by, and most importantly, anger that they're threatening _my_ family. I knit my eyebrows together and clench my fists.

Anger can come in handy sometimes, making you bold where fear makes you weak.

Slowly putting the stuffed animal down, I turn all my attention towards my balcony and slowly, quietly, inch my way towards it. With chakra already channeled into my fists, I'm prepared to fight off whoever this _idiotic_ intruder may be. They picked the wrong girl to mess with.

As I get closer, I see that the figure is tall, taller than me, and lean, not bulky. He shouldn't be too difficult to take down. Coming closer still, the figure becomes even more defined, revealing high, spiky ha-

Kakashi.

For a fleeting second I lower my guard down then bring it back up again. I'm still angry at him and wouldn't mind beating him up a little simply out of spite. If anything, the intruder bit just makes for a convenient alibi...

_Oh, I'm SO sorry! I thought you were an intruder!_

Inner Sakura is rubbing her hands together, egging me on with an evil, mad professor smile on her face, but another part of me is also glad and relieved to see Kakashi again. So ignoring Inner Sakura despite her vehement protests, I release the chakra from my fists and gently slide the glass door to my balcony open.

"Hi." Kakashi says quietly, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly the way he usually does when he's nervous.

"Hi." I answer back, neither running straight back into his arms or yelling angrily at him either. I'm playing it by ear and how I react all depends on what he has to say next.

"I'm sorry." Kakashi begins (_nice start_ even Inner Sakura has to admit). "I never meant to make you mad and I never meant to hurt you. You know that's the last thing I would ever want to do to you."

"I know." I admit, knowing that if anything, Kakashi has always been the one to protect and comfort me, not be the cause of the pain. "But at the same time, Kakashi, I was trying to tell you something that's been bothering me for a while, something important, and you pretty much blew me off with a sex joke!"

"I know. I'm sorry, but I didn't know what else to do. You were obviously upset, so I thought that if I lightened things up a bit that you might calm down."

"With a sex joke?!"

"I'm _really_ sorry." Kakashi repeats, a drop of sweat trailing down his temple. "But those are the only kinds I know!"

Inner Sakura does a facepalm while I simply shoot Kakashi my best "You've gotta be kidding me, right?" look.

"Listen, Sakura, I've never done this before."

"What, think about something other than sex?"

"No, be in a relationship that's lasted this long before. I don't know what I'm doing. I don't know what the right thing is to say when you're upset with me like this."

"What are you talking about? You've seen me lose my temper before."

"Well, yeah, but I'm used to you blowing up at Naruto instead." Kakashi says sheepishly. "My point is that I'm trying to be the best boyfriend for you that I can be, but I will fall short sometimes because this is all new to me and I'm just doing the best that I can as I go."

"And you think that _I_ know what I'm doing? I haven't been in a long term relationship either. If anything, I thought you were the one who knew what he was doing since you're older and more experienced and supposedly know more than I do."

"To be honest, Sakura, I don't think it matters how old you are or how experienced in relationships you think you are because no matter what, we're all just trying to figure things out as we go and act like we know what we're doing while we're at it. Anyway, I'm really sorry about the sex joke. It was bad timing on my part and I didn't mean to offend you."

"Thank you, Kakashi. I'm glad to hear you say that."

"You're welcome, but out of curiosity - and again, please don't get offended. I just want to figure out what I did wrong so that I don't do it again in the future - but why did that joke make you so upset in the first place?"

I look back at Kakashi thinking that all men really are dense, even the ones who are supposed to be geniuses! Then again, he seems sincere and I can't expect him to read my mind, nor do I expect him to, but seriously, he can figure out how to bring an entire organization of S-class criminals down, but he can't figure this out? It's like the guy who can get sports statistics down pat or figure out how to make some complicated piece of technology to work, but he can't figure out for himself when he's being a complete Neanderthal?! Bakas, the lot of them!

"The reason I got upset was because I was asking you to take me seriously, but you made a joke instead and not only that, but the joke you made made me think that all you're after is sex."

"Oh, I see..." Kakashi says in comprehension.

Well what do you know? Neanderthals can understand the obvious.

"But Sakura, if all I wanted was sex, then I'd be running around the village sleeping with anything that walks, but I don't nor do I want to. What I _do_ want is to have the person I enjoy talking with and laughing with and who understands me to still be there even after the sex. What I want is a _relationship_, not just a means to get off. And I don't want just any relationship either, I want one for life and with only one person...you. That's why I asked you to marry me, because you're not just a plaything to me. If you had any idea of just how much you mean to me, any clue what would happen to me if I were to lose you-"

And yet I do.

When I woke up in a hospital bed not so long ago with Kakashi sitting right next to me looking practically half dead himself, I knew.

It had reminded me of a story I had read when I was younger. It was about a boy and his dogs, but it's always the dogs that I remember most. They were a boy and a girl and when one of them died, the other one lost the will to live and died soon after. When the boy went to visit his dogs' graves, he found a red fern growing on top of the graves. The story was called _Where the Red Fern Grows_.

I've heard similar stories involving elderly couples, people who have seen the milestones of their lives come and go: wedding anniversaries and their children having their own children....And when one of the spouses finally died, the other lost the will to live and soon passed away themselves.

To see my near death have the same effect on Kakashi, a man who isn't even my husband yet...

"I do know." I admit. "Because I feel the same way about you, but that's also why I got so mad at you in the first place. Didn't you see me falling apart once Sasuke and then Naruto left? Didn't you see that I needed you, too? But instead, for almost 3 years I barely even saw you. It's like I had lost you, too."

Kakashi's one exposed eye widens and at last, he finally seems to understand.

"Sakura, do you remember how we didn't talk about my death for _years_ because you were afraid I'd blame you for it?" he asks gently. "Well, for me it was the same thing. I thought you'd blame me for not stopping Sasuke from leaving. I thought my being around would only remind you of how I failed and hurt you even more."

"Oh, Kakashi. _I_ tried to stop Sasuke from leaving and failed! I even told him that I loved him and he still left! Nothing any of us could've said or done would've stopped him from leaving, so I certainly wouldn't have blamed you for it! And didn't it ever occur to you that everyones leaving was exactly the reason why I needed you to stay? We were members of the same broken team. We could've been there for each other at least, and even if there was only you and me left, we would've still been Team 7. We would've been something Sasuke and Naruto could come home to."

Kakashi looks both solemn and defeated and we both stay silent for a while. We're told not to linger in the past and not worry about how things could've been, but it's human nature to do so anyway.

"Sakura, you should've looked for me and told me all this. If I had just known how you felt, if I had known how much you needed me..."

"I tried, Kakashi, but whenever I asked Shishou about you, you were either off on some mission you volunteered for or just weren't anywhere to be found. It's like you were avoiding me."

"I was." Kakashi admits quietly. "Missions were a way for me to stay out of your way. They were also the one thing that kept me going. I thought that if I was just out there, then I'd hear or see something that would help us find Sasuke. My intentions were good, but I guess they did more harm than good."

"_The road to hell is paved with good intentions_." I say, repeating the old proverb.

"Yeah, I guess so." Kakashi says ruefully. "At least now we know it's better to talk things out than let them fester and get worse."

"I just wish we didn't have to learn it the hard way. It would've saved both of us a lot of trouble."

"Maybe, but if things come too easily to you, then you just take them for granted and don't really learn anything that way either...What?" Kakashi asks, his one exposed eye going wide in confusion at the face I'm making at him.

"Nothing." I say, shaking my head. "I guess I'm just going to have to get used to that kind of talk seeing how I am going to marry an older, more _mature_ man."

"And here I thought you saw me as a good-for-nothing perv with a one track mind." Kakashi says good-humoredly.

"I still do, but we established a while ago that you're a perv with substance. Sometimes the 'substance' part just gets clouded over by horniness, that's all."

Kakashi looks at me, trying to gauge whether I'm serious or not. After seeing a quirk of a smile on my lips, he smiles, too, then starts laughing. It's good to hear his laughter again and it's contagious, making me laugh also.

After a while, we both quiet down again, but this time things feel much better between us.

"And I'm sorry, too." I say quietly. "I'm sorry that I blew up at you. It's just that...you hurt me and when someone hurts me, I want to hurt the other person back, make them feel what I'm feeling. I know it's wrong and I try not to do it, but that's what I usually end up doing anyway."

"No, I understand. I think we all do that sometimes."

"You don't. I don't ever remember you getting mad at anyone except enemies we run into on missions."

"I do...in my own way."

"Like when?"

"Like that time Naruto and Sasuke almost killed you on the hospital rooftop with their stupidity."

"I don't remember you getting mad back then. From what I remember, you reasoned with everyone in a calm and collected manner."

"Yeah, but you should've seen me when I got home. Pakkun wanted to know what exactly the dining table did to make me so mad."

"But you don't have a- Ooohhh..." I say in realization. "Well, either way, I'm really sorry that I blew up at you. I'll try to work more on controlling my temper, maybe even practice on Naruto and Sai. If anybody gets on my nerves, nobody does it better than those two, and if I can learn to breathe and count to ten before jumping down _their_ throats, then I think I have a pretty good chance of controlling my temper around you."

"Thank you, Sakura." Kakashi says, looking genuinely relieved to hear me say that. "And I promise that I'll take you more seriously and teach you something new and not just in the bedroom either, but I wasn't lying to you when I said that I'm not holding back on you. You and Naruto have surpassed your mentors, the Sannin themselves. Do you know what that means? Not only have you surpassed me, but you've surpassed my teacher's teacher as well. You've simply become stronger than me, but I'll dig into the thousand or so jutsus I've copied over the years and maybe we can come up with your own original jutsu or something. We'll figure out a way to make you stronger than you already are and heaven have mercy on whoever you use that power against!"

"Thank you, Kakashi." I say, finally closing the distance between us and hugging him tight around the waist.

Kakashi wraps his own arms around me and gently kisses me on the top of the head.

"You're welcome," he murmurs. "I owe it to you. It's been a long time coming."

"Yes, it has!" I laugh, burying my face into his chest.

And for once, ever since our fight began, I feel like I can finally breathe again. A tremendous weight has just been lifted off my shoulders and I'm truly grateful for it, and from the way I feel Kakashi's body relax against mine, I can tell that he's grateful for it, too.

Yes, you can never really outgrow whatever makes you feel safe and secure whether it be a person, place, or thing, and for me, Kakashi has and always will be my refuge.

As we go back into the house to say goodbye to my parents instead of jumping off the balcony without a word of where I'd gone, I again catch from the corner of my eye Bunny looking forlornly at me from the bookshelf, causing me to pause in my steps.

"What is it?" Kakashi asks, already halfway out the door.

"Nothing. I just forgot something." I say, quickly picking Bunny up and tucking him into the crook of my arm before quietly closing the door of my childhood bedroom behind me.

Kakashi gives the stuffed animal in my arm a curious look, but says nothing. He just smiles that happy eye crease smile of his.

He can tease me about it all he wants later for all I care because Bunny is not just a plaything to me either. He _means_ something to me.

So walking down the staircase with Kakashi, I ignore the "Where did _he_ come from?" look on both my parents' faces and just smile warmly back at Kakashi instead because at least now I know that we can weather a storm no matter how bad it gets.

Besides, I've already decided on a perfect new spot for Bunny...He'll do just fine sitting right next to Mr. Ukki.

To be continued...

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Sorry, no make up sex in this one. It would have defeated the purpose if they had sex after he had just said he didn't want her just for sex.

Anyway...

"Bunny" is shown very, _very_ briefly on a bookshelf in Sakura's bedroom in Shippuden episode 74 "Under the Starry Sky" right before she opens the door. Yes, I know. I'm waaay too obsessed with _Naruto_! :P Here's a link. Just remember to remove the space because FF doesn't allow web links:

crunchyroll. com/media-521716/naruto-shippuden-74/


	58. 1st Time KakaSaku Celebrate Christmas

Merry Christmas, everyone! ^_^

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**Chapter 58-The First Time KakaSaku Celebrate Christmas**

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In winter, Konoha, the Village Hidden in the Leaves, becomes a misnomer. It's more like "Konoha, the Village Hidden by Leafless Branches Excessively Dumped on by Snow." How else would we get our lush vegetation if not for the heavy amounts of water we receive during the spring rains and winter snow? And now that all the Christmas presents have already been opened, it's not surprising to see most of the villagers out sledding or building snowmen or throwing snowballs at each other and generally just enjoying what little is left of this Christmas day.

Kakashi and I divert from the larger crowds, however, choosing to hang out on quiet Training Ground 3 instead.

Training Ground 3 is also completely transformed in winter, changed from a thick, grassy field to a barren white one encircled by the aforementioned leafless trees, their trunks and skeleton branches now gray in color rather than their normal rich, earthy brown. The training ground actually looks like a Christmas card with its untouched snow and frozen, winding stream in the background. All it lacks is a spotted deer with a caption above its head that reads "From Our Family To Yours...Merry Christmas!"

So of course, Kakashi and I make quick work in defiling that pristine beauty.

It's so cold that our breaths hang in the air as frosty mist, coming on stronger and harder with each heavily panted breath. Snow is getting carelessly pushed one way and then the other and I'm pretty sure all our racket is what caused a nearby flock of red-crowned cranes to scatter high up above the treetops, but still Kakashi encourages me, pushing me to move faster, pushing _him_ to move faster as well.

"What are you two doing?" a sharp voice cuts through the air, making Kakashi and me immediately look up and stop what we're doing.

Just as quickly, my eyes widen in recognition.

"Naruto! Merry Christmas!" I say, running across the field to give him a big hug.

"Merry Christmas." Kakashi repeats with a happy eye crease, coming up from behind me a few seconds later.

"Thanks. Merry Christmas to you, too." Naruto says with that toothy fox grin of his. "But seriously, what were you guys doing?"

"Wanna show him?" Kakashi asks, looking down at me with a sparkle in his eye.

"Shannaro!" I say, quickly running back to the other side of the field to take my place.

Doing the appropriate hand signs of Dragon and Bird, the bleak, gray sky and snow covered clearing are soon overcome by a large, floating, swirling mass of light pink petals.

At first they seem to hang harmlessly in the air around me, but after spotting a viable target a few yards from Naruto, I shout "Batsu!" or "Strike!" and instantly the flower petals change shape, each one tapering down to a sharp, pointed tip, like an arrowhead. Meanwhile, their edges become thin and sharp, like razor blades. And lastly, the petals harden into something akin to the strongest material in the world, diamonds, making them more indestructible and deadly than the finest katana swords, kunais, and senbons out there. All this they do in just a matter of seconds and it only takes a few seconds more for them to aim and drive themselves into whoever or whatever I point them to, in this case, a fallen tree trunk which has disintegrated into nothing more than sawdust after the petals have swarmed away from it.

Now if it had been a human body, it would have been a completely different story...

The sharp little blades would have either slashed at it with hundreds of thousands of razor-like cuts or sliced it straight through, leaving nothing but a pulpy, bloody mess where the enemy last stood.

"Kaka-sensei..." Naruto asks in a low, shaky voice, "What the _hell_ did you teach, Sakura-chan?"

"I didn't really teach that jutsu to her. She just sort of came up with it on her own. I was teaching her some of the jutsus I had copied through the years, sorting out which ones she's most comfortable with and which ones she's best at, and after a bit of mixing and matching, we learned that this particular combination suits her best."

"It's great, isn't it?" I ask excitedly, running back towards Kakashi and Naruto. "It's my new original jutsu. I'm calling it Reza Juuman no Jutsu!"

"Hundred Thousand Razors. I can see why." Naruto says.

"Oh, but you haven't heard the best part! Not only do the petals slice and dice, but I have complete control of them, too! I can tell them the exact depth and length of the cuts I want, the speed in which I want them to attack, I can even tell them to slice up just certain parts of the body, depending on whether I want to simply interrogate an enemy or kill them. Like if a guy doesn't want to talk, I can tell the petals to swirl around the lower half of his body and nick slowly at his clothes until he finally cooperates. It's absolutely wonderful, isn't it?!"

"Ahahaha! Yeah, wonderful!" Kakashi and Naruto laugh awkwardly, instinctively crossing their legs defensively.

"I KNOW! It's the best Christmas present ever!" I say elatedly, throwing my arms around Kakashi's neck and quickly kissing him on his masked lips.

"_That_ was your Christmas gift to her?! Teaching her how to turn people into ground beef?! Whatever happened to jewelry and pretty clothes?!" Naruto yelps.

"I gave her those things, too, but by far this gift is her favorite one of all. Something about getting a lifetime's use out of it." Kakashi says, his one exposed eye wide in bewilderment.

"As if Sakura-chan wasn't scary already!" Naruto shivers.

"I heard that!" I growl, narrowing my eyes at him.

Naruto shoots me a terrified look, one that looks more terrorized than usual. Maybe he thinks I'm going to use my new jutsu on him…

"Here. Merry Christmas, Sakura-chan!" Naruto says, quickly thrusting a small Christmas bag into my hands before running away without looking back.

"Naruto, I was just playing around like we always do! Come back!" I yell after him, but when Naruto makes it clear that he has no intention of doing any such thing, I cup my hands around my mouth and yell even louder "THANKS FOR THE GIFT! MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU, TOO! SAY 'HELLO' TO HINATA FOR MEEE!!!" then look thoughtfully at the package in my hands.

Thrusting a hand into the tissue filled bag, I pull out a new pair of black fighting gloves, exactly what I had been needing since my old ones were starting to become threadbare at the knuckles.

"I got a pair, too." Kakashi smiles warmly, holding up his own fingerless gloves with a metal plate on the back of each.

"I swear, Naruto can be the most annoying pseudo brother ever, but every once in a while he can be really sweet and thoughtful, too. Now I feel bad for scaring him off." I say guiltily.

"We'll make it up to him tomorrow." Kakashi promises. "You know Naruto. Treat him to a free Ichiraku Ramen meal and all is right with the world again."

"That's true. Plus, I think he'll really like the matching frog pajamas and slippers we got him. It matches his wallet."

"Maybe we should've just gotten him a new wallet." Kakashi says, scratching his chin thoughtfully.

"Are you kidding? He's had Gama-chan for as long as I've known him! It's like a part of him! You can't replace something like that!"

"No, you're right. Some things are simply irreplaceable." Kakashi says with a happy eye crease, giving my shoulders a gentle squeeze.

I smile back up at him and wrap my own arm around his waist, and with the sky already growing dark with approaching night, the two of us trudge through the thick snow and head back for home.

~*~*~*~

There's nothing like a woman's touch when it comes to making a house a home.

Kakashi's normally cold, empty looking apartment now looks warm and inviting ever since I moved in and now that it's the holidays, it looks even more warm and inviting. It's amazing how just a few Christmas cards left standing on a table and a lighted Christmas tree can make an entire room feel Christmasy.

Changed, dry, and warm once more, Kakashi and I sit snuggled up against each other on the sofa with a mug of hot cocoa cupped in our hands, simply admiring our Christmas tree in complete darkness, the soft, warm glow of its small, white lights being our only light source.

"I have one more gift for you, you know?" Kakashi says softly, breaking the sleepy, comfortable silence.

I lift my head off his shoulder and look back at him wide eyed.

"But you've given me plenty already! That justu alone…"

"One more can't hurt," he insists, and before I can say anything else, he gets up from the sofa, exits the room, only to come back a few minutes later to lay a large, neatly wrapped box onto my lap.

"Thank you." I say in grateful resignation.

"You're welcome. Now go ahead and open it."

After ripping off the wrapping paper of my last Christmas present and looking inside the box, I shoot Kakashi a look of complete and utter surprise.

He just smiles back at me with that infuriating happy eye crease of his.

"Merry Christmas, Sakura."

To be continued...


	59. KakaSaku Celebrate Their 1st Anniversary

Happy New Year, everyone! I hope you have a great 2010! ^_^

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**Chapter 59-KakaSaku Celebrate Their First Anniversary**

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"5...4...3...2...1! You may now kiss the bride!"

Despite all the New Year's party favors, all the noise is surprisingly muffled and distant, as if listening to it underwater.

"Happy New Year, Mrs. Hatake." Kakashi says, smiling down at me with a happy eye crease, his voice low and meant only for me.

"Happy New Year." I say quietly back, returning his smile. Then, at the same time Kakashi pulls down his mask, I raise my bouquet up to hide our faces and we kiss, for the first time, as husband and wife.

Only Shishou, who acts as minister and stands on the other side of the bouquet with us, gets to see Kakashi's unmasked face, but she's pulled Kakashi out of enough emergency room injuries to have seen his face several times over.

It's everyone else on the other side of the bouquet, the ones who _haven't_ seen Kakashi's face like Naruto and Ino, who give a mutual groan of disappointment at being cheated yet once again, but when Kakashi and I finally part and we face the crowd once more with Kakashi's mask pulled securely back up over his face, everyone still cheers and claps for us, even the ones who had disapproved of our relationship in the beginning.

Yes, we've definitely come a long way since this year - no - _last_ year began.

Last New Year's, Kakashi's kiss was a big surprise to everyone, including me, so it's only fitting to celebrate this New Year's, our one year anniversary, with yet another surprise...a wedding.

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**One week ago...**

After ripping off the wrapping paper of my last Christmas present and looking inside the box, I shoot Kakashi a look of complete and utter surprise.

He just smiles back at me with that infuriating happy eye crease of his.

"Merry Christmas, Sakura."

I look back at him dumbfounded.

"Kakashi, is this what I think it is?"

He nods his head in the affirmative.

"But isn't it bad luck to see-"

"Only if you're wearing it, which you're not, so I'm pretty sure we're safe, and one more thing...I'd really like it if you wore it on New Year's."

"New Year's? But this is a-" And then it dawns on me what it is exactly that Kakashi intends for us to do. "But I thought we were going to do it on your birthday so that you'd never forget our anniversary!"

"It's kind of difficult to forget New Year's!" Kakashi laughs. "Besides, New Year's is already our anniversary for when we first got together. We might as well make it our wedding anniversary as well."

I lift up Kakashi's present, admiring it. He had bought me another kimono, but this one is made of shimmering white silk and on its back is a fine, embroidered pattern of two cranes, the tips of their beaks lightly touching. This isn't just any kimono, it's a Japanese _wedding_ kimono and it's common to have the image of cranes on them because cranes are known to mate with only one partner for life. (1)

"You do know that we're going to have to get Shishou in on it since she's acting as minister."

"Already taken care of." Kakashi says with a happy eye crease.

I look back at him astonished.

"And what about Yamato and Ino? They are your best man and my maid of honor, after all."

"I think they could use the surprise. Besides, Ino is a great friend and all, but I'm not sure telling the village gossip our little secret is the wisest thing to do."

"No, I agree, but I still can't believe we're doing this! I thought I still had a few more months to prepare!"

"Sakura, we can wait if you want. We can still do it on my birthday like we first planned."

"No, no, no! I want to do it on New Year's! You're right, it'll be a great surprise! Besides, I think we've waited long enough as it is, don't you think?"

Kakashi's only response is a kiss on the lips that leads to...other things.

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**The Present**

So it isn't the big white wedding I had imagined, but to be honest, I think our impromptu wedding couldn't have been more perfect. Most everyone we know and love is already here - and I say "most everyone" only because Chiyo and the Sand Siblings aren't - but that one thing aside and once everyone got over the shock of Kakashi's and my big surprise, everyone quickly took their assigned roles and turned Shishou's annual New Year's party into a New Year's wedding ceremony instead. It all went smoothly, smoother than any impromptu wedding could ever hope to be.

And so, it all ends where it began: With a simple New Year's kiss, but this time the kiss is a promise to stay with each other for better or for worse, in sickness and in health, until we're both old, wrinkled, and gray, 'til death do us part. So it's not an ending, really, more like a new beginning, just the way New Year's ought to be.

To be continued...

(Because I'm neurotic and I want to end this story at an even 60 chapters!) :P

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(1) Remove spaces after the periods for link:

lifescript. com/life/relationships/marriage/what_do_various_wedding_symbols_really_mean. aspx


	60. Epilogue

Last chapter. Thank you to everyone who has stuck with this story to the end! ^_^

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**Chapter 60-Epilogue**

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"What? What is it?" Kakashi asks, his one exposed eye growing wide with worry as the smiles on Shizune's and my face immediately change to one of shock and surprise instead. "Is there something wrong with the baby?"

"Well, you know how we told you that a baby's heartbeat sounds more like a whirring sound in an ultrasound instead of the thumping noise that we're used to?"

"Yeah..."

"Well, do you hear how it's echoing?"

And then it dawns on Kakashi.

"Our baby has two hearts? Will it live? Can we do something about it? Maybe Tsunade can figure something out-"

"Kakashi, calm down! It's nothing like that! What I was trying to imply before you started freaking out is...We're having twins."

"Are you sure?"

"There's no mistaking it. If you listen closely, you can hear how each heart is beating to its own rhythm, and if you look over here, that curve you're seeing is the top of another small head, and those right over there are another pair of arms and another pair of legs. If you want, I can even tell you what sex our babies are going to be." I say, turning around to smile at Kakashi, but when I look up at him, his face above his mask looks pale and clammy and the pupil of his one exposed eye looks more dilated than what's normal, and then Kakashi, the man whose fought countless formidable enemies and even miraculously came back from the dead...faints.

I don't blame him because what the hell does the new year have in store for us _now_?

The End

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- What a twins sonogram looks like, just remember to remove the spaces after the periods because FF doesn't allow web links:

fugato. net/wp-content/twins. jpg

- What a baby's ultrasound heartbeat sounds like:

youtube. com/watch?v=vZ-JggUxv_A

~*~*~*~

Well, this story has seen three New Year's, hundreds of writer's blocks, but at the same time many faves, alerts, reviews, and even a few fanarts, all of which pushed me to keep going, turning what was supposed to be only a 300 word drabble into a 60 chapter epic instead, my longest story yet. Not bad for someone who used to only want to write oneshots because she didn't think she had the patience and ability to do long, multi-chapter stories. So in all sincerity, _thank you_ to each of you who took the time to show in your own way that you enjoyed this story. You made the challenge and struggle of tackling it fun and worthwhile beginning to end! ^_^

~Tricia

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**Update 1/3/10:** I drew a picture of what Kakashi and Sakura's twins look like when they're a little older. Here's the link. Just remove the spaces after the periods because FF doesn't allow web links.

shippertrish. deviantart. com/art/KakaSaku-Twins-149146604

**Update 1/4/10:** And I just drew another one, this time with Kakashi in it, too. Remember to remove the spaces after the periods.

shippertrish. deviantart. com/art/KakaSaku-Family-2-149272741

**Update 1/5/10:** One of the reasons why Kakashi fainted when he found out that they were having twins...Because he saw this in his future! ;P Remove spaces.

shippertrish. deviantart. com/art/KakaSaku-Twins-Troublesome-149382458

**Update 2/8/10: Firithnovwen** was so sweet and did a really cute fan art for this chapter at deviantART, so please check it out! Here's the link. Remember to remove the spaces after the periods. Thanks again Firithnovwen! ^_^

firithnovwen. deviantart. com/art/What-the-New-Year-brings-153427418


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